Whispers in the Dark
by xakattak
Summary: Link has always wondered about his legacy. When his home village is decimated, he comes to a true understanding of his destiny. He begins to hear Whispers in the Dark... MalonxLinkxZelda
1. Prologue

It was a dark, stormy night. Guards patrolled the Hyrule Market walls, ready at any moment to yell to the soldiers. It was a dark time, a time in which the largest war Hyrule had ever seen was taking place. It was the turning point of the Dark War, and every soldier in Hyrule was on edge. At any minute, Coriantum and his Dark Elven followers would descend upon Hyrule Market, deciding the fate of the war, and Hyrule.

Captain William Powerblade was the head leader of a large portion of Hylian soldiers, and, in his own eyes, the best captain of them all. He was a very conceited man. Most of his soldiers hated him. He made outrageous, overestimated calls that led to the deaths of several men in every battle fought. But his only concern was his own life. William's dream was to become the military advisor to King Laertes, and he believed it would happen. Unfortunately for him, he was the only one who believed so.

Captain Powerblade was in the Hyrule Market tavern for a good round of Alco-Lon, a recent invention that combined the sweet taste of Lon Lon Milk and alcohol. It was the only milk you could get drunk from. Lon Lon Ranch was raking in the rupees with this latest invention, not because of taste, but because of addiction.

Captain Powerblade slammed his bottle of Alco-Lon on the table after guzzling the entire thing. "Keep 'em comin', Richie!" he belched. The bartender grumbled and filled his bottle with another pint of Alco-Lon.

After three more bottles, Captain Powerblade was officially drunk. He stumbled his way out of the tavern with a full bottle of Alco-Lon in his hand.

"Hey, get back here with my bottle, Captain!" Richie shouted.

"Ah, go listen to yer Indigo-Go thingie band or whatever…." William shouted back. With no idea where he was going, he staggered over to the Hyrule Market gates, where he shouted up at the guards to open up.

"Captain, you're drunk. Please, return to the bunker," a guard stated.

"Don't give me orders, private! Do it now!" he said with a loud belch.

"I'm sorry sir, I've got orders," he replied.

"Fromoo?" he slurred.

"King Laertes! If you want out, you'll have to take it up with him!"

"Bah, K-King Laertes doesn't knowat's bess' fer 'yrule," he slurred again, getting more drunk with each guzzle of his Alco-Lon.

The guard appeared to be about to reply, when another guard collided into him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the first guard shouted.

"R-run! It's here! On the w-walls!" he stammered.

"What the bloody hell are you—" he never got to finish his sentence. A glaive spun out from the shadows and sliced clean through the guard's neck, decapitating him completely. Blood spewed all over the clumsy guard, who was now shrieking in fear.

"N-no, no!" he cried. But a large spear bore down into his heart, killing him instantly.

"Wh-what's goin' on up there?" Captain Powerblade slurred. A wispy, black form suddenly floated down from the wall and materialized in front of the captain. The seasoned soldier's eyes widened with fear. He dropped his bottle, and it shattered on the cobblestone.

Captain Powerblade screamed….


	2. Beating

**Chapter 1: Adolescence, Jealousy, and a Savage Beating**

Adolescence: the period of physical and psychological development from the onset of puberty to maturity.

There once was a teenaged boy named Link. He was very different from the other teenagers in Kakariko Village. So different, in fact, that not many boys his age liked him. At all. He was actually a very good-looking kid, but it was his individuality, independence, and the fact that he had a high amount of respect for women. The other boys were your typical teenaged boy: horny. All they wanted was to get down and dirty with every female that had a nice body. Since Link didn't, they thought he was weird. And downright annoying.

Today was not a good day for Link.

The sound of hard knuckles against the flabby flesh of someone's lips rang through the plaza. Link slammed down hard to the ground, blood spewing onto the grass. He licked the blood off his lips and stood to his feet.

Link's assailant and black-haired, arch-nemesis, Mark, took a good hold of Link's collar and shook him around a bit.

"Next time I see you flirtin' with my girl, I'll hit you so hard, that bitch of a mama you got's gonna feel it!" he growled. This set Link into official pissed-off mode.

Link slammed his fist into Mark's stomach, making him double over and groan in pain.

"Don't talk about my mother like that!" he cried. "Ever!" Then he gathered as much blood in his mouth as he could and spit. He reached down, grabbed his cloak that had been knocked off in the fight, and began to walk away.

Mark seethed with anger as he was still doubled over. Slowly standing straight, he roared loudly and ran full-tilt at Link. There was no time to react. Just as Link turned to catch the blow, Mark's head buried itself into his stomach. The air instantly whooshed out of Link's lungs, leaving him breathless. It was then that Link received the most savage beating of his life.

Mark pounded down on Link's face again and again and again, the unstoppable anger boiling his blood like lava pouring into the ocean.

"Mark, stop it!" a female voice shrieked. "Stop it, leave him alone!" A redheaded beauty known as Malon jumped on to Mark's back and began pounding her fists into it. This stopped Mark's fury.

"What's the matter, baby?" he whispered seductively. Malon looked at him incredulously.

"The fact that you're totally maiming a kid who did absolutely nothing wrong!" she spat. "I am about this close to being totally done with you!"

"He flirted pretty—"

"No, Mark, he didn't, he simply opened a door for me and gave me a sweet smile. Is that too much for you?" she asked.

The redheaded beauty glared angrily at Mark and his silence for a while, and then went over to Link.

"Are you okay, Link?" she asked. Link mumbled something, but all that came out was a mouthful of blood. Malon sighed with concern and lifted his head into her arm. She had no intention of carrying him somewhere to lie down; his muscular build wouldn't allow that. She, being an accomplished nurse, would have to work with what she had.

First, she tore off the brim of her long sleeve, balling it up and placing it inside Link's left nostril, which was bleeding profusely. She then ordered him to spit out the blood in his mouth or else he'd choke. Half-consciously, he gathered up as much blood as possible and spit again.

Mark stood nearby, his blood still boiling as he watched Malon handle Link with more tender care than she ever had for him. Not being able to stand it anymore, he stormed off for his house.

After a long while, Link's consciousness began to return. Once he was fully conscious, he was able to take in the undeniable beauty of her deeply concerned face. She was like a worrywart mother.

"You know… has anyone ever told you about your eyes?" she asked. Link sat up a little bit, but not too much for pain to his head.

"My eyes?" he asked. Malon nodded.

"They're a beautiful blue. The bluest I've ever seen. Where do you suppose you get them from?"

"Well, I know it's one of my parents, obviously. But I have no idea. My father died when I was only four, and I never knew my mother."

"That must be hard," she said sympathetically.

"No, it isn't. It's hard to feel love for someone who you never knew. She died giving birth to me. All I remember of my father is that he was a very sad man. The only joy in his life was… me."

"How did he die?" Malon asked. Link sighed.

"He was a knight for King Laertes, back before he was assassinated. One day I got a letter. No more Dad."

"That's terrible," Malon said, putting her hand to her mouth.

"Yeah, I was pretty heartbroken. But you know, I got over it. Ever since Uked (Deku backwards, instead of the Deku Tree) adopted me, I've always been happy."

"Uked is a great man," Malon stated. "He's done so many things for my mother in her sickness. You should be proud to have him as a guardian."

"I am. He's a truly compassionate man. But I fear that soon I am going to lose him. He's growing old and weak. Several times I've come home to find him on the floor, collapsed from lack of energy."

"Yet with all that weakness, he still manages to help those in need," said Malon with a small smile.

Link nodded. There was a short, silent pause for a moment before Link stood.

"Whoa, hold on," said Malon. "I don't think you're strong enough to stand yet."

Link chuckled. "No, it's fine. I've got it. It's just a little headache, I'll manage," he said. Malon stared after him.

"You're sure you can make it?" she asked. Link nodded, then flinched with sharp pain.

"It was nice talking to you, Link," she said.

"You too, Malon," he replied. Then, unexpectedly, she stood up on the tips of her toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

Link nodded goodbye, a little dazed from her farewell, and stumbled off to Uked's home, incapable of walking straight. Malon laughed softly as she watched him leave.


	3. Favor

**Chapter 2: Uked Needs a Favor**

"Uked!" Link cried as he hung his cloak on the nearby hanger. "I'm home!" Nobody answered. _Hm… that's funny_, he thought. _He's always home_.

Link made his way up the staircase, still calling his foster father's name. "Uked!" Entering Uked's room, Link had a strange feeling. Almost like….

Suddenly the room disappeared, and in its place was… a stone wall? There was mist all over the place, making it somewhat difficult to see. It looked like the wall that led to Hyrule Market, but he couldn't be sure.

His vision rushed over to the east side of the wall, where a whispy black form was appearing. He couldn't tell what was going on. A man clad in silver armor was running down the wall with a heavily panicked expression. The guard was screaming something, but Link couldn't hear it very well. The black whisp floated down the wall and began to materialize into human form. By the time it was finished, Link couldn't see if it was a man or woman, only the shadow of his or her form. The person drew something from his or her belt. It was a glaive.

"What the bloody hell are you—" Link heard. The voice was cut off by the sound of a blade cleaving something, and then spraying liquid. Link could only guess what was going on.

"Wh-what's goin' on up there?" an obviously drunken man slurred. The person's form returned to its black whispy form and descended from the wall quickly, materializing in front of a man holding a bottle of Alco-Lon. The man's face twisted into that of horror and bewilderment, and he dropped his drink. The man screamed horribly, begging for his life. Link saw the muscles in the person's face twist into a terrible smile.

"Please, spare me, I'll—" but his voice became too mangled to understand what he was saying. He barely had the strength to scream. Link couldn't see what the form was doing to the man, but he knew it was terrible.

Suddenly Uked's room came flooding back to him, and there lay Uked on his bed, breathing steadily.

Link began to hyperventilate. _What the hell was that?_ he thought frantically. Clutching his head, Link stumbled into his own bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, letting the images of his… was it a vision?

Slowly moving into a sitting position, Link tried to think of why that might have happened. Did this drunken man have something to do with him? His past? Was it his father?

_No, that wasn't my father. He was no drunkard_, he thought rationally. His mind kept swimming with continuous images of the things he had just seen. Without realizing it, he slowly began to lie down, and by the time he had gotten those thoughts from his head, he was already asleep.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Did you have a good day yesterday, Link?" asked Uked. "I meant to ask you, but you were asleep as soon as I woke up. You looked rather tired."

"Yesterday was…." Link thought for a moment. Did he want to tell Uked about his day? "It was a good day. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"That's good. That Mark's a real prick, eh?" Link laughed. Uked had always been an up-to-date man, no matter his age. He did find it peculiar that Uked brought Mark up, however.

"Yeah, why?" Link asked. Uked shrugged innocently as he poured some tea into Link's cup without asking. Link didn't bother with tea.

"Gosh, Uked, how do you always find this stuff out?" he asked after a long silence. Uked laughed heartily.

"I know all. After you've been around as long as I have, you won't need to see things to know they've happened," he chuckled.

The two then ate their breakfast in a hearty conversation about time, age, and the joy of offspring.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Link stood at the door of Malon's house for what seemed like ages. But he had to be quick, just in case Mark was watching. So, finally, he got up the courage to knock. Link heard the sound of footsteps coming to the door.

Malon answered the door in full attire, minus shoes.

"Oh, hi Link!" she said enthusiastically. "Come on in." Link removed his hat and began to wring it in his hands.

"Have a seat, I'll be right with you," she said. Link nodded his thanks and sat down on the nearby sofa. It was a minute before she came back in, but when she did, she plopped down on the sofa right next to him.

"So, how are things?" she asked with a nudge, without even asking why he came to her house. Before he said anything, she gasped and touched the sheathed sword on his back. "What's this for?" she asked, a little surprised.

"That's part of why I'm here. The reason I came over was… I hate to do this, but I'm going to need to borrow Epona," said Link.

"Well, of course you can. What's the occasion?" she asked.

"Well, Uked needs me to go to Lake Hylia and deliver some things to the scientist who lives there. They've been really good friends since boarding school," Link explained.

"Wow, Lake Hylia? That's a long trip, like four days," said Malon. "It must be important."

"According to Uked, it's extremely important. I've never seen him so serious," said Link. He thought back on Uked's last words.

"_You simply_ must_ get this package to the scientist at Lake Hylia, and take this with you as well," said Uked, holding out a sheathed sword to him._

"_What's the sword for?" Link asked._

"_You never know what you could run into in Hyrule Field. The night is dangerous."_

_Link nodded. "What's the package for?"_

"_I'm not to tell you. And don't bother opening it, it's enchanted. The only person capable of opening it would be a highly accomplished mage or the scientist at Lake Hylia, he has some equipment that could get it done."_

_The two stared at each other for a moment. The look on Uked's face was… strange. It almost looked sorrowful._

"_Is something wrong, Uked?" Link asked. Uked shook his head, but tears were welling up in his eyes._

_Suddenly he threw his arms around Link in a deep, loving bear hug. _

"_Uked, I'm only going to be gone for a few days," said Link, a little surprised at his foster father's emotion. _

"Okay, well, did he give you some provisions?" Malon asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine on that," Link replied, shaken from his memory. Malon nodded. Link stared into her captivating brown eyes, and suddenly, he wanted to kiss her. Badly. He had never felt such emotions so strongly. The only thing holding him back was that she had a boyfriend, and he respected that fact, just not the boyfriend himself.

"Link," she said.

"Hm?" Link whispered, still entranced.

"Can I come with you?" she asked. This startled him.

"W-wait, huh?" he asked. Malon nodded, with a cute look of excitement etched upon her face.

"I think it would be fun," she said simply. Link looked at her for a moment, trying to see the joke behind her eyes.

"Really?" he asked. "Are you sure that would be okay with Mark?"

His hopes were rising, but his own question nearly crushed them. But what she said next made him want to explode.

"Oh, I don't think he'd mind," she lied. "And plus, if he tries anything I'm going to wring his neck, and then dump him."

Link laughed. "Wow, you're really ambitious, aren't you?"

"My mother tells me that a lot. At least, when she has the strength to speak," she said. Suddenly her excitement was replaced with sorrow. Link hated to see her sad.

"Well, uh, I guess you can come, if you really want to," Link said, a little perplexed.

"Oh, thank you, Link!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck. She was really beginning to make him wonder if she liked her boyfriend or not.

"Alright, well, where is she?" Link asked.

"Oh, she's right out back, follow me," she said.

"Wait, what about your mother?" Link asked. "Shouldn't she know about this?"

"No, she'll be fine. My brother can take care of her."

"What about your dad?" he asked. Malon bit her lip.

"Well, by the time we're gone, they'll be too late to stop us," she said quickly. And with that, she slipped on her shoes and exited out the back door. Link shook his head and followed her.

Malon was already untying Epona from a wooden pole in their small yard.

"I have to take her out a lot, because she starts to get claustrophobic. I've always wanted a ranch of my own, to raise horses and ride Epona as long as I want," she said dreamily.

Link smiled. "That would be fun," he stated. Malon nodded in agreement.

"Okay, well, strap those provisions to the saddle, as well as your sword," she said. Link nodded and took the sword and provisions from his back, tying them with a cord to the saddle, nice and tight.

Malon began to climb on the saddle.

"Oh wait, uh, Malon?" he asked. She was already at the front of the saddle.

"Yes, Link?" she asked.

"Uh, I was actually thinking that I should be the rider," he said.

"Huh?" she asked.

"You know, I'll take the reins and you can sit behind me," Link explained.

"Whatever for?" she asked.

"Well, Hyrule Field isn't safe at night, you know," he said matter-of-factly.

Malon sighed. "Whatever, I guess men just can't stand not to be in control," she said.

"Hey, I resent that statement," Link said playfully. Malon laughed. Link climbed on the horse in front of Malon.

"Okay, hold on," Link said. Malon hesitantly wrapped her arms around his stomach area, blushing heavily when she felt his chiseled abdominal muscles.

"Hyaa!" Link cried as he snapped the reins. Epona whinnied, and they were off. The sun was already beginning to set. Link steered Epona down the small stairway into Kakariko Village's plaza and rode for the exit.


	4. Brawl

**Chapter 3: Brawl**

Link, who was trying desperately to focus on the map and the matching horizon, was finding himself more and more entranced by Malon's beauty, even though she was behind him. It was already beginning to get dark (Link didn't plan on getting far tonight since they left during sunset), and they needed to stop and rest.

Once they cleared a rise that looked over Hyrule Field into Kokiri Forest, Link halted Epona.

"I think we should set up camp now," said Link. Malon nodded and slid off Epona's saddle. Link followed suit and took all the provisions, bedrolls, and his sword from the saddle.

"Why do you need the sword?" Malon asked.

"I told you," said Link. "Hyrule Field isn't safe at night."

Malon nodded, a new expression of worry drawn on her face.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure nothing bad will happen," said Link reassuringly. Malon nodded softly. She was frightened, he could tell.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I'll let you hold the sword," Link said with a chuckle. Malon's eyes widened.

"Oh no, I couldn't do that, I have no idea how to use it," she said nervously. Link smiled.

"Well then today is the lucky day that you learn how to use a sword." He unsheathed the sword and placed it in her hands. Then, standing behind her and placing his hands on her wrists, he began to teach her.

"You hold the sword, when you're not fighting, like this," he said, demonstrating the common fighter's stance. "This helps you stay aware and ready for attack."

"Where'd you learn all this?" she asked with a short smile. Link smiled.

"Uked taught me. He's a retired soldier; I guess I thought you knew. But anyway, back to the point."

Malon nodded. "When you attack, you don't swing the sword like a madman. That's foolish," Link explained. "It could very well be sent soaring from your hands, and then you're defenseless. Now, keeping that in mind, don't hold the sword too tight or you'll be limited in your agility. You want to hold it just light enough to keep it in your hands."

All this time he was guiding her hands into the swing needed. He told her of correct stances, dodges, and when to run or not.

"I thought you were teaching me how to use a sword, not Hylian Soldier 101," she laughed. Link laughed with her. Suddenly he found himself staring down at her beautiful face, and she stared right back. That same emotion that had overwhelmed him back at her house began to take place here. Link decided he was going to do it, never mind Mark. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and leaned in. Their lips were inches apart when Link heard a painfully familiar voice.

"Malon!" the voice cried. Malon gasped. They could both hear horse hoofs pounding into the ground at full gallop. Both of them knew exactly who it was.

Mark came riding up the hill on a rather ugly tan horse. Link took good notice of the sword strapped to his saddle. He meant business.

Jumping off the horse's saddle and striding up to Malon, Link could almost see the intense anger rising off of his body.

"I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but I assure you, it's not going to happen again while we're together!" he screamed. Malon didn't even flinch.

"Yes, you're right," she said calmly.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"I said, 'yes, you're right.' It isn't going to happen again while we're together, because from this day forth, we aren't together anymore."

Mark was stunned by this remark. At a loss for words, he began breathing heavily.

"But, baby," he said. But Malon didn't let him finish.

"No, Mark, I am tired of you and your aggressiveness! You're too overprotective; you don't even let me breathe! I'm through with you, Mark! I don't even know why I agreed to be with you."

Mark began to seethe with extreme anger. Slowly he turned to Link. He saw this coming a million miles away.

"You!" Mark screamed. Walking over to his horse, he drew the sword there from its scabbard. Without a second's warning, Mark bellowed loudly and heaved the sword in Link's direction. There wasn't enough time to dodge the entire blow. Link jumped backward, but the tip of the blade still sliced across the bridge of his nose, making a good-sized gash in his face.

"Mark, what do you think you're doing?" Malon shrieked. Link touched the slash on his nose tenderly, flicking blood from his fingers.

"Malon, give me the sword," Link said sternly.

"But Link, I—"

"Malon, toss me the sword, now." Malon gulped and clumsily tossed the sword. For a horrifying second, the blade was facing straight toward him, but Link expertly caught it by the handle and spun it into a fighting stance. Mark was a little surprised by Link's expertise; he always thought him to be the wimp whom he beat up.

"You're going down, Link!" he seethed.

"Ready when you are," Link replied calmly. Mark bellowed loudly and, in his blind anger, charged at him at full speed. From six feet away, Mark leaped into the air, sword outstretched. Link skillfully dodged around Mark's tackle and swung a small gash into Mark's lower back. Mark gasped in pain.

Link stood ready as the bully stood to his feet. Mark's anger was only rising.

"You're a dead man!" he shrieked. In an ongoing scream, Mark charged right at Link again. Link prepared for the attack. This time, Mark didn't stop until he was close enough to hit him with his sword. Link parried a blow to his abdomen, another to his arm, and punched the hilt of the sword into Mark's nose. He felt the bone break. Blood spurted onto the grass.

Clutching his nose, Mark stumbled away from the blow and nearly tripped. Wiping blood, he continued his relentless attack. This was getting all too easy.

The two circled around like a couple of wolfos. Link remained ever aware, and Mark's teeth were permanently clenched in his anger. It showed through his jaw muscles.

Mark then unsuspectingly swung at Link's head. Link easily dodged the attack, but it caused Malon a loud scream. Link then took a good swing at Mark's legs. He jumped over the attack and brought his sword down at Link's head. Parrying the blow, Link lifted his knee into Mark's stomach. His annoyance was beginning to show in the way he fought.

Mark recovered quickly and screamed into several different slashes and swings. Link parried and dodged them all, except the last one. It made good contact with his shoulder. Link gasped in pain and clutched the shoulder as he backed away from Mark, who now had a satisfied smirk on his face. Link was beginning to get angry as well.

Link ran toward Mark, who was now running as well. They both took well-aimed swings at each other, but missed, and ended up colliding into each other. They hit the ground hard. Link had lost his sword, but Mark kept a good grip on his.

Link, now unarmed, leaped to his feet just in time to dodge a swing to the head. He tried to kick the sword from Mark's hand, but another swing brought the blade too far from Link's reach. With barely any time to cartwheel away, Link was beginning to get worried. He had to find some way to get Mark's sword from him and turn it on him.

But when the window of opportunity came, Link kicked Mark's wrist too hard and ended up sending the sword soaring. It ended up being a fist-on-fist brawl. Link tackled Mark to the ground and punched his face. Mark punched him back and sent him sprawling. Leaping to his feet once again, he blocked a punch and gave Mark a painful rib shot. Still holding on to his wrist and rendering Mark useless, Link punched Mark's face, stomach, and then slammed down on his triceps. Mark cried out and collapsed to the ground in pain. Link reached out for Mark's sword and placed his right hand on Mark's chest and the other aimed the sword at his throat. Mark held his hands up in fear.

"Link, no!" Malon cried.

"Don't worry about it, I've got it handled!" Link shouted back somewhat impatiently. "Now, you listen to me," he seethed. "You are to go back to Kakariko Village and leave us alone. Got it?"

"Okay, okay, I will," said Mark, still frightened. After a moment, Link released him and handed his sword back to him, wary in case Mark decided to be cheap. He didn't, however, and returned to his horse, sheathing his sword in the scabbard there. Mark took another pained look at Malon, who returned a horribly dirty look. Mark then turned in galloped for Kakariko Village.

Link stumbled over to the bank of the Zora River, where his sword had landed. Malon had the scabbard, so he went back to her. Malon handed him the scabbard and he sheathed the sword. Without warning, Malon wrapped her arms around Link, who, a little surprised, returned the hug.

"I'm sorry he did that to you," she said.

"No, don't be, it's not your fault," Link replied. Malon nodded, knowing it wasn't, but Link could tell she was ready to cry. Again, without warning, she placed her head on his chest and let her tears flow.

After their emotional moment, Link went over to the pile of supplies that he had dropped before teaching Malon to use a sword. He then proceeded to make a campfire, and Malon neatly placed the bedrolls by it. The two worked together, talking of random, stupid things that would be too stupid to depict.

The two lay in their bedrolls, tired from their exhausting day. After a long silence, Malon fell asleep on Link's shoulder. Link smiled before closing his own eyes.


	5. Lake Hylia

**Chapter 4: Lake Hylia**

"Malon," said Link, shaking her. "Malon, it's time to wake up."

"Oh come on, five more minutes," she mumbled. Link sighed and stood, allowing Malon another five minutes as he cleaned up what wasn't being used. The fire had long since died, and Link made sure he scattered the wood used as far away as possible.

Only after Link had finished cleaning up the campsite had Malon woken from her beauty sleep, beauty being the operative word. She stood and stretched her arms, uttering a high, squeaky yawn that made Link's heart melt.

Seconds after she rose to her feet, Link snatched the bedroll she had been sleeping on.

"Now that's service," she said with a smile. Link smiled back as he tied the bedroll to Epona's saddle.

"Well, we better get moving again," said Link. Malon nodded and waited for Link to climb on, then eagerly placed her hands around his middle. Link, of course, didn't notice her eagerness.

"Hyaa!" Link cried and snapped the reins. Epona whinnied and began to gallop in the direction Link signaled.

The trip was long and dull. Ever hour or two Link would stop the horse to allow the two to stretch their limbs and get rid of the saddle sores. After about five minutes of that, the two would resume their positions on the horse and continue their painful journey.

After another day of bouncing up and down on a hard saddle, they finally arrived at Lake Hylia. Link took in the beautiful view of the sunset on the lake, making him sigh at the beauty.

"Well, there's the observatory. We'd better get up there," said Link, pointing to a blue-roofed building up on the nearby rise. Malon nodded, and Link clicked his tongue for Epona to carry them to the top of the rise and to the door of the observatory, where Link dismounted and took the package from Epona's saddle.

Link knocked on the door. It took a moment, but soon Link heard feet thumping on the ground until the scientist came to the door.

"Oh, well what's this young whippersnapper here for?" said the old man inquisitively.

"Uked asked me to bring this," said Link. The scientist nodded with a sudden solemnity.

"Come in, come in," he said warmly. Link beckoned for Malon to follow and the scientist went into the next room.

"Have a seat, be right with you," he said. They nodded and sat down on the nearby couch. They were both rather nervous and at a loss for words. Link began to wring his hat. Malon twisted her finger through her hair. No one spoke.

"Okay, I'm back," said the old man. He groaned as he sat in the chair in front of them. "Now, about this package," he began. "This is extremely important. Hugely important; I can't even begin to describe its importance. The contents of this package could very well save or destroy Hyrule, depending upon their usage."

"You mean that the fate of Hyrule was in my hands?" Link said, in somewhat of a panic.

The old man nodded. "For however brief a time, yes." Link gulped. He didn't like that at all.

"What is the purpose of this?" said Link. The old man hesitated, as if debating on whether or not to tell him this.

"There is a force that is gathering. A force that is not measured by quantity, or even by quality, but by something that cannot be described. This force has only one purpose: to conquer all life. They have begun to spread over nearby countries: Termina, Subrosia, Hanial, and many more. They have turned their gaze upon Hyrule, and that doesn't bode well for us. I fear that if this force got a hold of what they were looking for… the contents of this package, all would be lost."

"…What are they looking for?" Link asked. He knew the old man possibly wouldn't tell him, but he was dying to know.

"I can't let you know that. But if they do come here, the first thing I want you to do is come back here."

"Me? Why me?" Link asked. He didn't like where this was going.

"Because you two are some of the only people who know of this package. The four people who know of it are Uked, you two, and I. That's it. Nobody else knows of it."

Link stood up and began to pace. He had not expected something this huge. The fate of Hyrule? In his hands!

"I must ask you to do this. Please, you are the only one capable. Uked and I are too old and feeble."

"How am I supposed to know when this 'force' shows itself?" Link inquired. The old man chuckled.

"Trust me, you will know. It cannot be mistaken," was all he said. "Now, it is growing late. I have two guest bedrooms that I'm sure will accommodate the two of you; it grows late."

Link nodded. He was rather confused and dazed, but thought he could do well with a good night's sleep.


	6. Bandits

Chapter 5: Bandits 

Link sat up in his bed, stretching his arms and yawning. With a groan, he rubbed his eyes, stood to his feet, and padded over to the mirror. His blonde hair was ruffled all over his face. Link thought about maybe going into the bathroom, getting his fingers wet, and fixing his hair, but laziness dominated his actions. He exited his guest bedroom and peeked into Malon's. She was still sound asleep, her ginger hair sprawled all over the pillow. Link smiled. Then, changing his mind, he ran into the bathroom and fixed his hair.

Link entered the kitchen, where the scientist, who Link had learned was named Marek, was already setting the table with plates loaded full of eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes. Link's mouth watered as he stared at the delicious breakfast that was being put out before him.

"Dig in," said Marek simply. Link didn't need to be told; he had already sat down and snatched up a fork and knife. Link was halfway through a pancake when he heard bare feet entering the room. Link hurried and wolfed the rest of the pancake down his throat so he didn't appear to be a gluttonous pig.

"Good morning, guys," Malon squeaked.

"Morning," Link replied. He continued to eat his food, only now much more dignified. Malon had a seat next to him and began to eat as well.

After their wonderful breakfast, they took turns using the bathroom to get ready for the day. Link packed up his things and slung them over his back. As he left the narrow hallway that led to the entryway, Malon hurriedly exited the bathroom. In her hurry, she collided right into Link, and then stumbled over his foot. Link reacted quickly and caught her before she did a complete face plant.

"Whoa!" she cried as Link placed her back on her feet. "I'm sorry, that was dumb of me," she said sheepishly.

"No, you're fine," he replied with a smile. Malon nodded and went into her room, beginning to pack up her things.

Link placed his pack on the nearby sofa and sat down next to them. Marek came up to Link, who hurriedly stood and shook their host's hand.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay overnight," said Link. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem, lad, anytime. Especially for the son of my dear friend Uked," the old man said. Then, on a completely different note, he added, "You, uh, sweet on her?"

"Whaa?" said Link, a little startled. Marek chuckled.

"I've noticed the way you look at her. Don't worry, I think she likes you too," he said with a wink. Link couldn't help but chuckle at the man's lunacy.

"Okay, I'll… keep that in mind," Link replied. Malon exited the nearby hallway and came into the entryway where the two men were standing.

"Well, ready to go?" Malon asked. Link nodded and strung up his pack.

"Bye, Marek, thanks for letting us stay," said Malon as they left through the front door.

"You're welcome," he replied. Then they shut the door and descended the small stairway to Epona, who was grazing quietly. Link patted her neck as he untied the reins from one of the wood poles that held the observatory up. He then climbed up onto the saddle.

All to eagerly, Malon climbed up and placed her hands around Link's middle, this time resting her head on his back. Link couldn't help but remember Marek's parting words as he snapped Epona's reins and galloped out of the Hylia Basin.

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As they set up camp that night, Link kept glancing over at Malon, who returned each gaze with a smile. He felt like an idiot; he was sure it was annoying her.

After camp was set up, there was still a little daylight left, so Link busied himself by taking his bow and going off to find them some dinner. Malon spent her time alone riding Epona along Hyrule Field's beautiful, luscious landscape.

As she came around a bend, she hurriedly brought Epona to a halt when she saw a large band of thieves raiding a caravan. They outnumbered its guards by at least ten, and it was an all out brawl between the two parties, but most of the thieves were able to quickly dispatch the guards and snatch large piles of provisions and gold from the caravan's supply car.

Malon quickly turned around, trying to be quiet. But Epona whinnied loudly, drawing the attention of several of the men below.

"It's a woman! Kill her!" a thief cried.

"Quickly men, defend the damsel!" the lead guard cried.

"Ride, woman!" cried another.

Malon shrieked and snapped Epona's reins, some of the bandits having already passed up the guards and were right behind her on their horses. Malon smacked Epona's backside, making her whinny and go faster.

"Link! Link, I need your help!" she cried. She kept crying his name, but she couldn't see him anywhere.

One of the bandits was right next to her now, wielding a jagged sword. Malon ducked low as the bandit swung for her head and missed, almost losing his balance and falling off. This spiked her adrenaline and encouraged her to spur Epona faster.

Suddenly, a black streak flashed right past Malon's ear. She heard a thud and a crack as an arrow punched through a bandit's heart. Another arrow quickly followed, striking the bandit who had tried to decapitate her.

By then, some of the guards had caught up and dispatched the remaining thieves. Malon brought Epona to a halt and jumped down, where Link was waiting.

"Was that you?" she asked, breathing heavily.

"Yeah, it was. I heard you saying my name so I came out and saw the bandits. Are you all right?" he asked. Malon nodded, but her lower lip was trembling.

"That was so scary," she said. Link nodded.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied. Link placed his arm around her shoulders and brought her back to the campsite, where a brace of rabbits were roasting on a spit.

"Here, lie down for a minute, let your breathing settle," Link said. Malon laid her head on the pillow and bedroll that Link had already put out. Link began stoking the fire with a long stick. There was silence for a moment. Then, "Why were those bandits chasing you?" Link asked.

"I was riding Epona around and saw them raiding a caravan. They saw me and tried to kill me," she replied. Link nodded. Silence again. Malon closed her eyes and tried to make her breathing slow down. Before she knew it, Link was waking her up.

"Dinner's ready," he said with a warm smile. Link took her hand and helped her up from the bedroll, and then he placed a roasted rabbit, held up by the spit, in her hands. She looked at it apprehensively.

"What is it? Something wrong?" Link asked, his mouth full of rabbit.

"Um… we're not going to use silverware? Or plates?" she asked. Link laughed.

"It's rotisserie. Always better to eat it right off the spit." Malon sighed and sat down next to him, slowly taking a bite of the rabbit. Her eyes lit up and she chewed it quickly.

"Mm, it's delicious!" she said after swallowing.

"Thank you. I spend a lot of time out on my own, so I learn how to do these things. I must admit, I would have been a lot more bored if you hadn't come along," Link stated. The two then completed their meal, and by then, it was rather dark. So they sat close to the fire to keep warm, talking about anything and everything.

"So, how many times has Mark taken out his anger on you?" Malon asked out of the blue. Link was rather startled.

"I don't think I could count," Link said solemnly. "But I gave him what he deserves. Now he won't have the nerve to try anything."

"But he would really hurt you. Badly. I remember when he gave you that scar…" she said, placing her fingers on the scar that trailed from his hairline to his jaw. It wasn't deep, and would probably heal in another three years.

"That was one of the worst. It was the only time, besides the other day, that he ever used a sword against me. That's when I decided I wanted to learn to fight. I was tired of being his scapegoat."

"Why do you think he chose you?" she asked. Link shrugged.

"I think it was because…" he stopped. He was about to say, "I think it was because I loved you so much."

"Because why?" Malon asked.

"I don't know. I think it was just a random pick," Link lied. Malon nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. Link didn't object. He knew they were just friends. Nothing wrong with that, right?

_Just friends_, he thought. _Who are you trying to kid?_


	7. Obliterated

Note from the Author:

Okay guys, no more delays! The summer is nearly over, and I've got loads of free time. I'm sorry I've been neglecting my story and I promise I'll do everything in my power to finish it before summer's over.

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**Chapter 6: Obliterated**

Link's eyes burst open. It was a habit he could never seem to break; waking up sometime around 8:00 AM without even trying. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up on his bedroll. The fire had long since died. He could see Malon, still asleep, shivering slightly. Link stood up and stretched with a yawn. He then pulled on his boots and cleared the remnants of the campfire. It took the time to pack everything except Malon's bedroll onto Epona's saddle for Malon to wake up. She yawned one of her high-pitched squeaky yawns and sat up.

"Morning, beautiful," said Link. Malon smiled, still yawning.

"Good morning," she said. She looked around and rubbed her eyes before Link helped her to her feet and began to pack her bedroll.

"You know you really don't need to do that," she said. "I can take care of it myself."

"What's your point?" Link asked.

"Well, how about you let me do it?" she asked, starting to take the bedroll from him. Link held fast to it, and there was no way she could have pried it from his hands. He gave her a blank stare for a moment before finishing. "Why?" she asked simply.

"Because you're a lady and you deserve respect," he stated. He tied the bedroll to Epona's saddle and hopped on, gesturing for her to hop on. She complied.

It took them about an hour to finish the ride home, and the two teenagers talked about the importance of the contents of the package they delivered to Marek.

"What item could be so powerful that it could save Hyrule from destruction?" Link speculated.

"Don't ask me, I'm just a farm girl," Malon replied. "I don't know about this kind of thing."

"Well, whatever it is, I won't be having a good night's sleep from now on."

They crossed the stone bridge than ran over the Zora River and proceeded to climb the stone steps that led to Kakariko.

"It's going to feel so good to be—" Link stopped himself when he beheld the village. It was a sight that brought tears to his eyes. He could only stare for what seemed like an eternity at what had become of his village.

Kakariko Village had been decimated.

Nothing was left. Charred, blackened frames of homes swayed in the gentle breeze. The windmill was in pieces all over the village; he could see a piece of the canvas fan far off to his left, and the stones that made up the windmill had crushed two homes before they had even been burned. Bodies were strewn all over the town plaza, and the bodies that hadn't been burned were missing several limbs each. The grass was in most parts red. One particular body had been impaled against the tree in the plaza with a large spear. Spears were stuck in the ground around the tree, each one adorned with a human head on the top. Upon closer inspection, Link saw, in horror, that the body impaled against the tree was the mayor.

The roof of his home had fallen in, and there was an enormous chunk taken out of the north wall, which was also blackened. Malon had already rushed off to her own home, going through what had been her family's belongings and treasures. She wept harder than Link had ever seen her.

Link slowly dismounted Epona and made his way to his home, taking as much time as he could to prolong having to even glimpse the interior of the building. Tears were already streaming down his face.

Finally he came to the enormous hole in his wall and stepped through. The shingles of the roof that had fallen in were all over the ground. The stairs had collapsed, so there was no way to get upstairs. He looked everywhere for Uked, just to see if there was even a remnant of him. He couldn't find anything. They—whoever _they_ were—had obliterated Uked into nothing. Link collapsed to his knees and held his face in his hands, and began to sob. He began to shake uncontrollably, not from depression, but from anger, from seething, furious anger. His tears began to turn hot. He pounded his fist into the ground until he had made a large hole, his knuckles bleeding. He kicked a chair so hard that it flew into the wall and exploded. He overturned a table and broke off one of the legs. He collapsed to his knees once again and continued sobbing.

Malon came into the house, and seeing the added destruction Link had caused, rushed over to his side. Her face had ash all over it, but there were two clear lines that started at the eyes and ran down to her jaw line. Link's face was black as well from the ash that was still drifting in the wind.

Malon didn't say anything. She only wrapped her arms around him, and he did the same to her. They held each other for a long time, sharing each other's tears.

After a while, Link pulled away from Malon's embrace, his tears now stopped. He stood to his feet. Malon didn't like what she saw in his eyes. It was a mixture of determination, fear, and mostly anger.

"I am going to find whoever did this," he stated.

"Link—"

"I am going to find whoever did this and I am going to kill them. I am going to kill every last one of them," he said. He began to tremble with anger. His face contorted to fit his emotions. "Whoever it is, I am going to hunt them down and destroy every last one of them. I won't stop until either they or I die."


	8. Princess

**Chapter 7: Princess**

Link determinedly strode over to Epona and untied her from her spot, where she was blissfully grazing in the grass.

"Where are you going?" Malon exclaimed.

"To the city," Link replied.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I need to speak with the king. He'll know what to do and how to find this enemy."

"Are you _crazy_?" Malon cried. "What makes you think the king will grant you audience?"

Link stopped. He turned and faced Malon. Again, what she saw in his eyes frightened her.

"He _will _speak with me." Link returned to placing the saddle on Epona's back.

"Well then I'm coming with you," she said.

"No." Link replied. "Not this time. It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" she asked skeptically. "What's so dangerous about going to see the king?"

"Whatever destroyed this village could still be out there," Link replied.

"Well if it is then I'll be in no more danger than you will," said Malon smartly.

Link turned on her again.

"Link, you're scaring me," she said.

"Listen, Malon!" Link cried. "This is something I have to do alone. I can't have anyone tagging along. You'll only slow me down!"

There was silence. Malon looked hurt. Link kept bearing down. She began to get extremely frightened.

"Link… stay back," she said. She began to back away. "You're really scaring me."

But Link didn't follow her. He just kept staring, still not changing his motive or his emotion.

Malon stopped backing away, but still kept ever wary of him. She thought something about the village must have snapped something in his brain. He just wasn't the same. There was a bitter coldness behind his eyes.

"I'll take you to the city," said Link. "I'll pay for you to stay at the inn. After that, I'll be on my own."

"Why do you have to _be_ this way?" Malon cried in frustration. "Is this some macho thing? Are you doing this to prove something to someone?"

Link didn't answer. He simply climbed on Epona's saddle and waited. She stared at him for a moment before climbing on behind him grudgingly. Link clicked his tongue and kicked Epona's sides lightly, turning the reins toward the exit of Kakariko Village. Malon took one last look at the village before it was no longer visible. Link did not.

The ride to Hyrule City was a short one. From Kakariko Village to the city was only about a ten-minute ride. It filled Link with rage to know that the king didn't send troops over to defend Kakariko when it was that close.

They finally arrived at the lowered drawbridge that led into the city. They crossed it and continued through the cobblestone street that led into Hyrule Market. Things had definitely improved here. They had done many expansions to the market to make it more than just a market; that was why it was now called Hyrule City. There were now several homes, a barracks, a soldier training facility, numerous government buildings, a stable, and an armory. The city expanded to almost four square miles.

Link steered Epona around the fountain centered in the market and headed straight for the inn, which had once been a Happy Mask Shop until it closed down.

Before Link dismounted, he noticed something odd. He could have sworn he saw his next-door neighbor from Kakariko Village playing with his child. Link rubbed his eyes. His mind was playing games with him.

"Hey Link, isn't that…." Malon began. Link turned to place his gaze where hers landed. Malon ran forward. Link didn't get it. But then he saw a large, burly, bearded man with his hair tied back in a ponytail rushing toward her. It was her father, Talon! He had survived the attack!

"Daddy!" Malon cried. Talon could hardly see; his eyes were full of tears. Father and daughter finally met in a tight, relieved embrace. Malon's eyes were streaming as much as her father's.

Link watched the reunion without emotion. He actually truly wanted to be happy, but he was now empty of all emotion but anger. He waited until the two were finished. Malon gestured for her father to stay put for a moment while she spoke with Link.

"Well… I think I'm going to be staying with him. You don't need to pay anything," she said with a smile. It was the first time she had shown any warmth toward him since they discovered the village's current status.

"I hope you two are happy," said Link, turning around to face Epona. Before he could climb on, Malon placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Link, I'm worried about you."

"Why's that?" he said, turning to face her. He still loved her. It was the one emotion he felt besides anger, and he only felt it toward her. But the destruction of the village changed him. He had a hard time showing it.

"I'm worried that you might take this too far. You're hell-bent on revenge, Link. It scares me. I don't want you getting killed," she said.

"Why do you care?" Link asked, his arms crossed. Malon's eyes narrowed.

"_Why do I care_? I'll tell you why I care! It's because I've been spending all this time with you lately and I've come to learn two things: one, that you're a dangerous boy, Link! You think too highly of yourself when it comes to battle. You think that you're invincible, but all those fights with Mark prove you're not. And I can guarantee that whoever you're chasing will be much stronger and a better fighter than you or Mark_ put together_!"

"And what's the second thing you learned?" Link asked, now interested.

Malon faltered, biting her lower lip. When she did speak, her voice quivered slightly.

"The second thing I learned is… I love you."

Link staggered. He didn't quite know what to say. She loved him! Before he could do anything, she wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him tighter than she ever had before. Link returned the embrace.

"I love you, Link," she repeated. She pulled away slightly so that they were still in each other's arms but could see each other's eyes. They stared for what seemed like an eternity, until Malon leaned in close. So close that Link could have counted her eyelashes. Link closed his eyes, as did Malon. Their lips met. The kiss was pure, their first kiss together. Link deepened the kiss and pulled her in so close that he could feel her heartbeat, which was beating mile-a-minute, against his chest. He never wanted to let go. Neither did she. He always thought it would be him confessing his love for her first. But he wouldn't yet. Not until the time was right. For all he knew, this would be the last time he saw her. When he did see her again, he would tell her.

The kiss finally ended, but they still stayed in each other's arms. Malon had a small smile on her face.

"I've got to go now," Link said. Malon nodded and gave him another short, quick kiss. Link pulled away and climbed on Epona's back. Malon looked into his eyes, and this time, she loved what she saw.

"Goodbye," Link said.

"Bye," Malon said weakly. Link turned Epona around and headed for the castle. Malon was a little bit disappointed. She totally opened up to him, confessing her love to him that had only been brewing a few days, and he didn't say anything back. Did he love her back? Malon was sure he did by the way he had kissed her. But he didn't say anything.

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Link came to a halt in front of the guard at the wrought iron and stone gate that led to the castle grounds.

"Who are you?" the guard asked hesitantly.

"I am a resident of Kakariko Village, which was destroyed yesterday," Link replied.

"What's your name?"

"Link."

"Link… what?"

"You don't need to know my full name, do you?" Link asked. The guard nodded.

"Thanks. Goodbye," said the guard.

"I am here to see the king," Link said.

"Um, no, you're not. I'm sorry, but I can't let you in. If the king did not wish to see you or you are not of royal blood, you may not enter this castle."

"I have to!"

"Why? Why do you have to see him?"

"Because I need to know who destroyed Kakariko Village!"

"Yeah, well, so does the king. That's been his foremost concern since it was destroyed. The entire castle's in a big rush to find out who did it and where they went."

"But I need to speak with him! I can help! I want to fight!"

"If you want to become a soldier, go and speak with Captain Thatcher. _Maybe_ he'll let you in."

The guard shooed him off. Link didn't move for a moment, then reluctantly turned around and headed for the city.

_Blasted kids_, thought the guard. He returned to his nap. He was lucky that he had been woken only just before the kid with the blonde hair arrived.

He heard a thud behind him, on the other side of the gate. He whirled around to see who or what it was, but saw nothing. The guard shrugged and turned back around.

Link winced. He had to be more careful than that. He had seen a vine that led up the cliff to a trapdoor in the ceiling of a small room inside the stone part of the gate. When he exited, he closed the door hard. Reacting quickly, he hid behind the stone pillar, out of sight of the guard.

Now he creeped along the dirt path on the castle grounds. A guard came around the bend. Link walked up the grass part of the slope and crept through the small flowers. He gradually made his way cautiously to the castle. He saw that the drawbridge, unfortunately, was up. He cursed under his breath.

Link's eyes followed the flow of the moat. It curved around the castle to the spot where all deliveries were made to the castle.

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A/N: Sorry if this kind of sounds EXACTLY like OoT, but it's a little different since he's a teenager and don't worry, it'll be different. Okay, back to the story.

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Link dived into the moat, making the smallest splash possible. The guards didn't even notice as he swam past them and climbed out of the moat at the corner where it turned. He saw a door at this side of the castle. He opened it, and was led into the castle courtyard. There were beautiful flowers everywhere; they adorned pillars, statues, and vines climbed up the walls of the castle itself. Link stopped to admire the courtyard, and was caught off guard when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

Busted.

Link jumped at the person's touch and whipped around to face them. He beheld one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on.

She had flowing blonde hair that ended halfway down her back, and glimmering eyes that sparkled upon looking into his. Both of them were caught off guard by each other's appearance. It was the woman, however, who gained her composure first.

"I'm glad you've come," she said. Link was startled. This was the last thing he expected her to say. "We have much to discuss."

Link had expected something along the lines of, "Get out of my castle, knave!" Definitely not a welcome.

"Uhh… I just came to speak with the king," Link said.

"Yes, all in due time. I've been expecting you for quite some time, Link."

"How do you know my name?" he asked.

"I've seen you in my dreams," she replied. "I've seen visions of the future. I saw Kakariko Village get destroyed well before it happened. I saw you deliver the package to Marek."

"Whoa, slow down! I don't even know your name!" Link cried.

"I am Princess Zelda, daughter of King Daphnes Nohansen the third," she stated. "I summoned you here."

"No, actually, you didn't. I came here of my own free will," Link said.

"It may seem that way, but it was my power that called you and gave you a desire to speak to the king. As soon as I saw you at Kakariko Village, I contacted you with my mind. I've summoned you here for a good reason, Link. I've summoned you here to save Hyrule."

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A/N: I must say, it's good to be back! I don't think I've ever updated as quickly with two consecutive chapters, so enjoy! Please review.


	9. Mission

**Chapter 8: Mission**

"S-save Hyrule?" Link stammered. "I can't do that! I'm only seventeen! I'm still just a kid!"

Zelda silenced him with a finger over his mouth. "I understand that this task seems daunting. However, you must first give me a chance to explain. For my entire sixteen years of life I have been having visions of the future. Never has any one vision had such importance than the one I had about you."

"A-about me?"

"Yes, it was about you," Zelda clarified. "I had a very clear vision of you one day. I saw you, on the saddle of your horse, wielding a sword, on top of a hill in Hyrule Field. There was an army before you. A massive army. At first, it appeared that you were alone. But then, you raised your sword into the air and gave the signal to attack. Instantly, the finest army Hyrule has ever seen charged after the enemy ahead of you, fully willing to obey your command. You will be a soldier, Link. And not just any soldier. You will be the commander-in-chief to Hyrule's army, second only to my father, the king."

Link stared in amazement. He was silent for a long time, his mouth hanging open, trying to take this all in. Zelda waited patiently.

"I know this is a lot to take in at once, but time is running short," Zelda stated.

"I don't know, princess," Link said. "If I were to accept, what would I have to do?"

"I think you should start by returning to Lake Hylia to retrieve the item you delivered to Marek. It is essential that we have it. You realize that the reason Kakariko Village was destroyed was because they were searching for what Uked entrusted to you. Marek now has it, and it's only a matter of time before they destroy everything in Hyrule to obtain it."

"What exactly is _in_ that package?"

"If you retrieve it and bring it back to me, I will tell you of all of its secrets. But you must do this for me, as well as undertake the full quest that I am about to assign to you, if you are to know the contents of the package," Zelda explained.

Link took a deep breath. He thought about it for a moment.

"What kind of danger will I be in?" he asked.

"No more than the rest of the nation is. Link, you are the only one that can do this," said Zelda.

"Why only me?" Link said, getting frustrated. "Why not some random soldier from your father's army? One of them would certainly be better equipped for this task than I!"

"Because you are a wielder of the Triforce."

"The what?"

"The Triforce is a colossal power that governs Hyrule—"

"I know what the Triforce is," Link snapped. "I didn't know people could wield it as a weapon, though."

"You hold the Triforce of Courage," she said. "As I hold the Triforce of Wisdom. The Triforce of Wisdom is what gives me the ability to see into the future."

"I don't hold the Triforce of Courage!" Link cried.

"Look at your hand, Link," she said.

Link obeyed and was shocked at what he saw. On the back of his right hand were three triangles linked together, and the bottom-left one glowed in a bright yellow.

"What does this mean? And how come I've never seen it before?" Link asked incredulously.

"When two people, or sometimes three, who have a piece of the Triforce meet, it is shown on the back of their right hand. It is the mission of the Triforce holders to protect Hyrule from danger. Unfortunately, the holder of the Triforce of Power has fallen."

"Fallen?"

"He has allied himself with the force that is determined to bring the world to its knees. He is the second in command in the army of the Dusk Legion."

"The Dusk Legion?"

"Yes. The man is named Ganondorf, second only to the king of the Dusk Legion, a man, if you could call him that, named Xaar. His very name puts fear in the hearts of those who know him. Even Ganondorf fears him, and that in itself should be enough to convince anyone how evil he is."

"I know who Ganondorf is, too. I just didn't think he'd turn on Hyrule like that!" Link cried. This was going way too fast and he didn't like where it was going.

"Link, I need you to get that package back from Marek. If Xaar gets a hold of it, there's no telling what he'll do. Please, Link, I need you to do this. You're Hyrule's only hope," she stated.

Link made up his mind. He would undertake this quest. Not only because it was Hyrule's fate in his hands, but also that it was the perfect way to get his revenge for Uked's death. He now had someone to focus his anger and vengeful feelings toward. The traitor Ganondorf and this man named Xaar.

"Okay. I'll do it. But on one condition," he said.

"What's that?" Zelda asked.

"The condition is that you will let me kill Ganondorf and Xaar."

"Link, you can't let personal emotions get in the way of the mission," Zelda said.

"I don't care. They will die. They will pay for what they did to my father and my village."

There was a brief silence before anyone spoke. Zelda was the one who broke the silence.

"Very well," she said. "I will let you be the one who kills them. But Link… have you ever killed a man before?"

"No. This will be my first," Link replied.

"Link, there's something you have to understand. When you kill a man, it changes you. It changes who you are. It doesn't matter if it's murder or if it's an act of war, killing is not something you will ever get used to. It doesn't matter how evil they are, nobody _deserves_ death."

"I don't agree with that," Link replied. "These men _deserve_ to die. They will die."

"Very well. I will have someone escort you out of the castle," said Zelda. "Be careful, Link."

Link nodded and turned on his heel.

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A/N: Sorry if this chapter kind of seemed like a remake of OoT, but it's still a lot different. As the story develops, there will still probably be similarities to the game, and that's why I decided to give Ganondorf a much smaller part than usual. Please review!


	10. Retrieval

**Chapter 9: Retrieval**

Link had never ridden this fast before.

After making his decision to be Hyrule's hero, Link had an invigorated resolve to do everything possible to kill the two men who had ruined his life. He could hear Epona wheezing heavily as she galloped full speed through the hilly terrain of Hyrule Field. They hadn't stopped since they left Hyrule City. Epona's hoofs hitting the ground all sounded like one pound each time. It was almost like she was leaping. She had been doing this for almost an hour and a half now. But Link didn't let her rest. He had to get to Lake Hylia. At this rate, he might have even gotten there by dawn.

It was raining hard. Huge raindrops had soaked his clothes before he had even got on Epona's saddle. The rain made it pointless to stop for a campfire, or lay on a bedroll for it would just get wet and cold. Lightning pierced the pitch-black night every so often, giving Link a clear view of where he was going, which worked better than the lantern he had with him on Epona's saddle.

When he finally got past the halfway point, Link slowed Epona down to a canter. He could tell she was grateful, but she was still getting worn out. He continued this pace for another half hour before he finally allowed her to slow to a trot. By then, they were nearly three-fourths of the way there. She would only trot for fifteen minutes before accelerating to a canter for the last stretch of the long journey made short.

Link's mind was focused on a single thing: revenge. And with that thought in mind, everything Zelda had asked him to do would fall into place. He was already working out a very elaborate plan in his head to exact his revenge on Xaar and his minion, the traitor Ganondorf.

After fifteen minutes had passed, Link began the race against the sun to Lake Hylia. He could see the entrance ahead. It would only be a few short moments. When he finally arrived, he leaped off Epona's back and climbed the small stairway to the front door of the laboratory and knocked. Link instantly heard the shuffling of Marek's feet coming to the door. The sound stopped. Link heard the lock unlatch. The door opened.

"You're back," Marek said. They both knew that it wasn't under happy circumstances. "I'll go get it. Come on in."

Link didn't even have to say anything. He stepped inside and sat on the same couch he had with Malon last time he was here. Link already missed her so much. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go.

"Okay, here it is," said Marek, placing a velvet bag on Link's lap. "I switched it from the package. Xaar will be looking for the package, not this bag. I trust the princess told you who Xaar is?"

"Yes. But how did you know I saw the princess?" Link asked.

"She contacted me after you finished speaking with her and told me you were coming for the item. She also told me not to tell you what was inside, and to tell you to not open it until you arrive back at the castle to give it to her."

"Why can't I know?"

"You will, in due time. It actually has a lot to do with you," Marek replied.

Link wasn't as taken aback as he should have been. He already knew that he was "destined" to save Hyrule, and the contents of this bag held what he needed to do it.

"Well, we'd best be going with it. The sooner the better," said Link.

"No we. I'm not coming," said Marek.

"Why? If you stay here, Xaar will think you still have it."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. If he finds out you don't have it, he'll kill you!" Link shouted.

"It is destined to be that way. I'm getting old, anyway. It's okay."

Link shook his head at the crazy old coot.

"Listen, you're coming with me, whether you like it or not!" Link cried. He moved to lift the old man over his shoulder, but he was shockingly fast and leaped out of his reach.

"No! I am staying here, where I belong!" Marek shouted. The single act of dodging Link's grasp had left him winded; he panted as he spoke. "Now please, go. Leave me to die."

Link stared at the old man for a minute. "You're a fool, old man," Link said as he exited the house. Grumbling, Link tied the sack to Epona's saddle and was about to climb aboard when he heard something. It was faint, but noticeable. He took his foot out of the stirrup and listened more closely.

Link could hear it distinctly now. It was a sound that made all the blood drain out of his face. The sound of hundreds, thousands of horse hoofs pounding into the ground. Link was too late. They were here.

Quickly, Link grabbed Epona's reins and took her over near the bank of the Zora River that ran behind Marek's house and into the lake. Hopefully, Epona wouldn't make any noise and they wouldn't be seen. Yet.

The rumbling was very audible now, unmistakable. It was only a matter of time. They were coming from the only exit out of the Hylia Basin. Link cursed under his breath. There had to be somewhere else where they wouldn't be seen. But the only other spot of land they could even hope to be avoided from was only accessible by bridge, and the bridge itself wasn't anywhere near wide enough for Epona.

Then Link saw it. The small ledge in the canyon that came from Gerudo Valley, in which ran the Zora River. It was terribly small, but it was wider than the bridge and probably could have accommodated Epona. Link led her by the reins over to the ledge. He was right. Epona barely fit from the rock wall to the edge, but she didn't panic. Link made sure he was ahead of her so he could trot out of the canyon and then race away before Xaar's men noticed anything.

Link could now hear the Dusk Legion's war cries as they approached the supposed location of their treasure. Moments later, a horseman broke through the small canyon that led into the Hylia Basin, followed by at least a hundred others that filed into the basin one by one. This couldn't be the entire Legion; it must have been a small battalion.

Suddenly, all the soldiers lined up on either side of the entrance to the basin and dismounted their horses. They all stood there, stock-still, holding their spears beside them, until suddenly they all bent down on one knee, in perfect unison. The height of the horses blocked Link's view, but he could see a man on horseback trot in, his face blocked by the many spears that were raised into the air. It was dead silent. Link took time to examine the breed of horse these men rode. They all rode only the finest brown Clydesdale warhorses, just like Epona, only a darker shade. They all wore plate mail armor on their faces, sides, and underbelly. The armor on their faces all had some kind of sharpened blade in between their eyes.

Finally, the man on the horse spoke. He had a deep, bellowing voice that Link thought he recognized.

"Thorak," the man boomed. Instantly a soldier came before the man and fell to one knee.

"Yes, Lord Ganondorf," the man said.

Ganondorf! This was the traitor. Link caught a glimpse of the fire-red hair and the disgusting green skin. He had seen this man speak before the entire kingdom once, giving a very long introduction for the king. Instantly Link had a sense of loathing for the traitor who had once called himself the king's advisor.

"Go inside and retrieve it. Bring it back to me. Leave no survivors," said Ganondorf. The soldier nodded, and Link heard a sword being drawn from a scabbard. Thorak then ran up the stairs and smashed down the door.

Link had to do something. He couldn't just let Marek die! But what about the bag? If they saw him, they'd surely search Epona's saddle for anything valuable, and they'd find whatever was inside it.

Link made a snap decision and quietly drew his sword from the scabbard on his back. He took a look around the corner of the canyon. The soldiers on the other side couldn't see him; the horses were in the way. But Ganondorf probably could have if he looked. Link rolled forward and crawled over to the house, where he hid behind the corner. Nobody saw him. The tricky part would be getting inside the house. It took him a minute, but he saw a window he could crash through. All the soldiers would think it was Thorak trying to kill Marek. He hoped.

Link smashed the window in a dive, covering his face with his thick gauntlets. He took a look around and saw that he was in the room Malon had stayed in when they were there. The bed was neatly made and any trace that anyone had slept in here was gone. Link felt guilty. He was sure he had left his own bed unmade.

Link exited the room to see Thorak searching around the kitchen. Where was Marek? Link couldn't see him. He must still be alive.

Link snuck up behind Thorak. The man didn't see him until it was too late. Link placed his hand on Thorak's shoulder and, with his other hand, drove his sword through the man's back and out his stomach. Link covered his mouth to keep the man from alerting the others.

Now, to find Marek. Link left the kitchen and went into Marek's bedroom. He wasn't anywhere to be seen. Link searched and searched the entire house, but he didn't see anybody!

He decided he needed to leave Lake Hylia. Ganondorf would soon send another man in to see what was taking Thorak so long, and once they found the body, they'd know something was up. They might think it was the occupant of the home, but with nobody inside it, it wouldn't take long for them to figure out some of what happened.

Link jumped out the same window he had come in and landed quietly, stealthily making his way back to Epona.

But then he totally forgot. Ganondorf was still blocking the only exit from Lake Hylia! How was he going to get out?

It was then that something strange happened that Link didn't quite get. He was grateful for whatever happened, but he had no idea what could have caused it.

"Look! There!" a soldier cried, pointing in the direction of the far side of the lake. Ganondorf turned his head to look, and Link saw shock on his face.

"Quickly, after it!" cried Ganondorf. Instantly, every soldier that had been surrounding the exit leaped upon their horses and galloped away, out of Link's sight. He cocked his head to one side. Huh?

Link took advantage of this opportunity and climbed aboard Epona's saddle.

"Yah!" he cried. Epona whinnied and began to gallop for the exit. Ganondorf and his soldiers didn't even notice. They kept chasing whatever it was that one soldier had seen.

Link was free. He made it back from Lake Hylia with all his limbs still attached, the bag tied to Epona's saddle.

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A/N: This one was a little hard for me to write. I don't know why it was. But you'll soon find out the contents of the bag Link's carrying. Something to get you excited for my next chapter!


	11. Revelation

**Chapter 10: Secrets Revealed**

Link came to a stop at the castle gates. This time, he had a pass from Zelda. The guard let him in, scratching his head as to how he had gotten the pass from Zelda if he hadn't let him inside the first time.

Link rode his horse up the dirt trail and toward the drawbridge, which actually opened for him. There was a stable right in the entryway to the castle, so Link descended from Epona's saddle and led her to the stable, where he placed her inside a stall. She all too happily began to graze in the provided hay as Link snatched the bag from her saddle.

Link left the stable, having no idea where he was going. Luckily the guards all knew that if he was in the castle, he was supposed to be there. He asked a bypassing guard if he knew where Zelda's quarters were. The guard escorted him there; not out of courtesy, but to protect the princess. They took several flights of stairs up until they were on what seemed to be the fourth floor. The guard knocked on the closest door to the stairway.

"Yes?" said a muffled voice from inside.

"Someone to see you, your Highness," the guard said. Link could hear her walking toward the door before she opened it.

"Link! You're back!" she said. The guard took the hint and left.

"I have it," said Link.

"Come in," said Zelda. Link entered her enormous chambers as she closed the door. Link cleared his throat as he handed her the bag. She placed it on a nearby end table with a heavy _thunk_. At least Link knew that whatever was inside was heavy.

"Now Link, what I am about to tell you may shock you. I am about to place an extremely heavy burden on your shoulders. I hope you are ready," she explained. Link gulped and nodded his head.

Zelda reached for the bag and quickly removed it from what it contained. Link raised an eyebrow. This certainly wasn't what he had expected.

It wasn't any one object. It was quite a few. For one, there was a pair of gauntlets with gold plating. There was a bow that looked enchanted. There was a large assortment of things, and Link was tempted to look at the size of the inside of the bag to see how in the world everything fit in there.

But the object that caught his eye first was a large crystal ball. Zelda picked it up.

"Of all the items inside this bag, this is the most important," Zelda said, reading his mind. "This will help me help you."

"Wait, I thought this stuff was for me," said Link.

"It is. But this crystal ball can only be used by the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom. I can use it to see where you are and contact you wherever you happen to be," she explained. She put the ball down and picked up the gauntlets.

"Remove your gauntlets, Link," she said. Link did so. She handed him the gold plated ones and he put them on. He instantly felt immense strength coursing through his entire body. His physique didn't change at all, but his strength now rivaled that of a dozen Gorons put together.

Zelda then took up the bow and the quiver that accompanied it.

"This is the Fairy Bow. It is enchanted, as is the quiver. The quiver will never run out of arrows, and the spell on the bow ensures that any arrow shot from it will always find its target."

Link took the bow and strapped it and the quiver to his back. Zelda then took another item from the bag.

"This is probably the most important one of all," said Zelda. She grabbed what at first looked like a dagger, but then she grabbed the tip of the blade and pulled. To Link's amazement, it stretched to the size of a full long sword. The hilt was a beautiful gold color, with rubies and sapphires ornamenting the guard of it. A large, blue gem was inside the pommel. Zelda handed the magnificent blade to Link, one hand at the tip and the other wrapped around the hilt. Link took it respectfully.

"It's a beautiful sword," said Link breathlessly.

"It's not just any sword," she said. "This is the Sword of Light. It is the dominating light force in the world."

"Wait, what?" Link asked.

"This sword contains all the power of the element of light that any object can. With this sword, you will be able to defeat any enemy that comes your way."

Link observed the sword with a new admiration. No wonder it was such a wonderful sword; it was the greatest sword there ever was!

"But Link, listen. It has an opposite. An opposite that is just as powerful as this is, but with the power of evil. It is called the Sword of Darkness. Xaar is the man who wields it."

"And that's why everyone fears him," Link stated, understanding a little more.

"Link, there is an ancient history behind these two swords. It may take a while, but now is the time you must hear it.

"Back when the world was young, and the Three Goddesses, Nayru, Din, and Farore watched over it, there was a conflict between the two first children created. One was named Lux, the other named Nox. Lux and Nox were created from the Three Goddesses, and they were supposed to be the delight of Hyrule and the world. Lux fulfilled this calling. Nox, however, did not. He had a different way of seeing things. He believed that a man's only hope of survival in this world was power. He and his brother became distant.

"The Goddesses were not pleased with Nox. They frowned upon his lack of judgment and decided to make Lux the first King of Hyrule. Nox was very jealous. It was he who had stated that the only way to survive in the world was to have power, yet it was his good brother who received that gift. Nox, in his anger, fled to what is now Gerudo Valley, where he started his own civilization and called himself King. The Goddesses were so displeased with him that they placed a curse upon him and his kin. They were cursed so that they could never speak to the Goddesses again. As a mark of that curse, so that others would be able to recognize those with it, they gave Nox and his kin a darkened skin. They were called the Gerudos, and Gerudo Valley received its name.

"Nox, however, did not change. Now that he was the King of the Gerudos, he began to focus his energy on bringing Lux down and becoming the King of Hyrule. He began to learn dark magic, magic that corrupted his soul and blackened his heart. He became so evil that the Goddesses gave him a new name. The King of Evil. Nox was the very first King of Evil over the Gerudos, and Xaar's companion, Ganondorf, is the new King of Evil. He leads the Gerudos, a race of only women, and they do whatever he asks. Xaar now has two armies; the Dusk Legion, and the Gerudos.

"When Lux first heard of Nox's betrayal and his loyalty to dark magic, he started to learn light magic. He became the exact opposite of his evil brother and led Hyrule to peace and prosperity. For a while. Nox's armies began to get bolder and more advanced. Armies began attacking small towns in Hyrule, razing them to the ground with no mercy. Lux, with his new magic skills, began to forge a weapon to aid him in the battle against Nox. He poured all his heart and soul into it, and the Goddesses themselves placed some of their magics into it. I'm guessing you know exactly what weapon that is."

"The Sword of Light," Link whispered, looking at the sword once again.

"Indeed. Once Nox heard of this, he decided he'd counter it. He relied only on his own magic to help him forge this wicked sword. He poured all his cruelty and spite into this sword. He called it the Sword of Darkness. With it, he had more control over his magic and his armies. He found he could use it do dominate his commanding officers' minds, making them do exactly as he wished. He only grew more powerful.

"Nox finally decided to make his ultimate attack on Hyrule City. He gathered every soldier he had in a massive army. This is where the Dusk Legion comes in. With his sword, he sent a shockwave of dark energy over his entire army that corrupted each and every one of his soldiers with the power of darkness. It twisted and distorted their bodies, giving them a dark glow about them. Their skin is an odd gray color and their eyes are colorless.

"Now wait, I ran into the Dusk Legion at Marek's house," said Link. "And they didn't look anything like that."

"Then it wasn't the Dusk Legion. Whoever you encountered was not affiliated with Xaar," said Zelda.

"But Ganondorf was commanding them!" said Link. Zelda's eyes widened.

"Ganondorf was with them? This is troubling…." Zelda began to pace for a moment, but then stopped. "I must finish telling you the legacy of this sword."

"The Dusk Legion marched upon Hyrule City. Standing upon the battlements, it appeared to Lux and his men that it was all over. The Dusk Legion outnumbered them greatly. But Lux, using the Sword of Light, struck courage into his soldiers' hearts and allowed them to fight for their freedom.

"The battle began quickly without delay. Nox instantly began bludgeoning the city walls with all he had. Lux returned his attacks with heavy arrow fire, but the walls were demolished quickly. The Dusk Legion poured into the city, fighting with all their strength. Lux and his men fought with every bit as much vigor as their enemies, if not more. Although the Dusk Legion was more numerous, Lux's men were more courageous and had a reason to fight. They fought for their wives and their children and all that was dear to them. They began to drive the Dusk Legion back. They thought for sure they would win.

"Nox used the power of his sword to summon several demons from the Underworld. They began to hammer through Lux's defenses as if they were toys. Lux was the only one powerful enough to stand against them.

"The battle raged on for no less than three days. Three days of straight fighting wearied both sides. Their arms grew stiff, their muscles sore. They battled to the death. In fact, every last soldier died."

"Every one?" Link asked in astonishment. Zelda nodded.

"It came down to Lux and Nox. They fought in a final showdown to the death that lasted another day. On and on and on they fought, never giving up. Nox fought for power, Lux for freedom. In the end, they both died. Lux should have won, but the coward Nox cheated. Lux battered through Nox's defenses and crashed his sword through Nox's helmet and skull and lodged it in his brain. Nox collapsed, presumably dead. Lux began to walk away, but Nox, with his final breath, took up the Sword of Darkness and hurled it straight through Lux's heart."

"Well then how did Hyrule survive?"

"The Goddesses restored Hyrule to its rightful state. Nobody truly knows how they did it, but they did keep the two swords. They hid them each in different corners of Hyrule. Nobody was supposed to find them. The Sword of Darkness was found first. It was Xaar himself who found it. He revived the Dusk Legion and took command of Ganondorf's armies. Ganondorf could do little against him. He was forced to submit to second-in-command."

"How was the Sword of Light found?" Link asked.

"Uked found it," she said.

"Uked did!" Link asked incredulously.

"Yes. When he was young, he was adventuring with Marek near Death Mountain and he discovered a stone chest with an inscription. It read: "Only he who is the father of the one worthy to wield this blade may open this chest." Uked didn't dare. Marek urged him on, and eventually Uked was able to open it and retrieve the Sword of Light. He and Marek took turns looking after it until you were old enough to have it."

"So, does that mean I am a descendant of Lux?" Link asked. Zelda nodded.

"In truth, the Goddesses preserved Lux's bloodline to keep Hyrule alive. Hyrule was repopulated and Lux's bloodline was saved. Unfortunately, Nox's bloodline also survived through the ages. Ganondorf, while being the King of Evil, is not a descendant of Nox. Xaar is the true King of Evil. He does not know of the Sword of Darkness's legacy, however, and since the Goddesses had no control over the Sword of Darkness, any man can wield it and use its power."

Link nodded. He finally understood everything now.

"What would you have me do, Your Highness?" Link asked. Zelda stood up straighter.

"Your quest begins, Link. You must raise up an army like unto Lux of old and bring Xaar and his Dusk Legion down once and for all!"

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A/N: Huge chapter! Not only in size, but in importance. This is the definitive chapter of this story. It is the chapter that puts the whole story in motion and the rest is all action! Can I hear a whoop whoop!


	12. Cellar

**Chapter 11: Cellar**

"Your first mission, Link, is to investigate Ganondorf's purpose alone at Lake Hylia," said Zelda.

To Link, that didn't sound like an exciting first mission. Those thoughts were still true as he stood in the rain at eleven o'clock P.M., his clothes stuck to his skin. He had been staking out here on top of the hill with the tree for what seemed like forever. There had been no sign of Ganondorf or his followers. He couldn't even ascertain as to what had caused them to run off when Link had been trying to escape.

Link was about five seconds away from taking off and going back to the castle when he saw a movement near Marek's house. His eyes darted toward the movement he saw. He scoped around, but he didn't see anything. He shrugged and returned to looking for Ganondorf.

Link saw movement in the same spot. He snapped his gaze in the general direction, but again saw nothing. With a grunt, he searched once again for Ganondorf.

He saw it again. Exasperated, he got to his feet and crossed the bridge to Marek's house, or rather, Marek's old house. Link had no idea if Marek was dead or not; he hadn't seen him dead or alive since he refused to leave his house.

Link arrived at the porch to Marek's house and ascended the steps. When he came to the door, he hesitated a bit before opening. He felt like he was intruding, even though Marek was likely not there.

It was dark, and there were no candles to be found. Link felt like he had to fumble his way through Marek's house. His shin banged into the coffee table and he cursed.

Suddenly Link heard a thud below him. He felt around the ground, but then he realized that it was in the cellar. Link bolted out the front door and went around to porch to the cellar entrance, where he was surprised to see a lock. Using the incredible strength granted him by the gold gauntlets Zelda gave him, Link punched the lock with all his strength. Link was surprised when his fist went through the lock and the entire wooden trapdoor shattered into splinters. Link descended the stone staircase and was surprised to see torches on the walls, which were also made of stone. He could hear someone speaking down below.

Link felt like he was going down the stairs forever. How far underground did this cellar go? And how big was it?

Link finally reached the end of the stairs and went around a bend. There was an arched doorway that led into a very large room for a cellar. Why Marek had a cellar of this size now became clear to him.

The entire cellar was stashed with piles and piles of gold and rupees of all colors: green, blue, red, yellow, and purple. Link rubbed his eyes a couple of times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. But he truly did see the greatest fortune any man had laid eyes on!

Plus, Ganondorf was standing in front of one of the piles.

Link crept into the enormous room and hid behind one of the massive piles of gold and rupees. He could hear Ganondorf speaking.

"I grow very tired of this," he said in his incredibly deep voice. "I will ask you once again: where is the Sword of Light?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know any Sword of Light!" the other man cried. Link recognized Marek's voice instantly. Ganondorf was interrogating him!

The sound of a ringing smack echoed through the stone room, and there was a loud thud as Marek hit the ground. Ganondorf gripped him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him into the air, bringing Marek's face close to his.

"Foolish old man! Do you realize that I could obliterate you into specks right now?" Ganondorf bellowed. Link could see the fear behind Marek's eyes. He had to do something, fast.

Quickly Link drew the Fairy Bow Zelda lent him. Without a second's hesitation he set an arrow in the nock and pulled back the string. Allowing little time to aim, Link released the string and the wooden projectile flew straight at the small of Ganondorf's back.

Ganondorf spun around and caught the arrow.

Link gasped as Ganondorf split the arrow in half with two fingers and then cast the pieces aside. He looked deep into Link's eyes, and Link stared back. He saw menace and cruelty behind those eyes, a sight that made him want to look away. But he held his ground.

"Do you fear me, boy?" said Ganondorf.

Link didn't answer. He just stared back.

"Well, you've got courage, I'll give you that. Or are you just stupid?"

Again, Link was silent, but he kept aware. Any moment, Ganondorf could attack him.

"What's your name, boy?" Ganondorf asked. Link didn't speak. "No matter. I needn't know your name. Only that," he said, pointing at Link's hand. Link didn't even have to look to know what he was talking about. The Triforce of Courage. Ganondorf was the wielder of the Triforce of Power.

"So, what do you say we test our strengths?" said Ganondorf casually.

"What do I get out of it?" Link asked.

"Marek goes free," Ganondorf replied instantly.

"And?"

"You want more? That's generous enough as it is. I should kill him," he said.

Link thought for a moment. There were great risks, but Marek would go free. It was time to put the courage granted him by the Triforce to the test.

"Deal," said Link.

"Excellent. I propose a duel."

"A duel?" Link asked.

"Yes, a duel. The only rule is that no powers or projectile weapons may be used. I think that benefits you more than anyone else," Ganondorf explained.

"Then let's get this over with." Link threw his bow and quiver into a pile, and Ganondorf removed his cape from around his shoulders, revealing a massive sword strapped to his back.

Link drew the Sword of Light and drew closer to Ganondorf.

"I hope you're ready for this," said Link. Ganondorf laughed.

"You have much to learn, young one," said Ganondorf. He drew his own sword and uttered one word: "Begin."

A/N: Haha! I felt like torturing you guys so here's the end of the chapter! Due to my laziness, if you haven't played SSBM, then you probably don't know what sword Ganondorf is using. If you have, it's the sword he sometimes shows when he wins a match. I don't feel like describing it. Just know it's big.


	13. Duel

**Chapter 12: Duel**

Link powered forward and heaved his sword in the general direction of Ganondorf's head. Their swords collided with each other, bringing them face-to-face. Their swords clashed again and again and again as the vigorous duel raged on. Link dodged and parried and rolled around Ganondorf's attacks. Ganondorf was extremely powerful, but slow and a little bit clumsy. Link was quick on his feet and graceful in his fighting.

Ganondorf charged forward toward Link and swung hard, hitting nothing but air. Link had leaped into the air in a full aerial somersault and landed behind the large man, with a quick roll on the ground to avoid another attack. Link sprang to his feet and spun to face his opponent. Ganondorf gave another hefty swing, and Link dodged around it and took a swing at Ganondorf's shoulder. Ganondorf barely parried in time. Link took another swing for his legs, but it was a fake, and Ganondorf fell for it. Link took a gash out of Ganondorf's shoulder. Ganondorf stumbled back, clutching his shoulder. In anger, he advanced toward Link quickly and swung his fist at Link's face. Link was expecting the sword, so his parry missed. Ganondorf's iron knuckled fist slammed into his face, sending him sprawling across the stone floor. Blood gathered around his nose and mouth; he was pretty sure his nose was broken. He had also bitten his lip, causing blood to enter his mouth and flow around his lips. He gathered all the blood in his mouth and spit it onto the floor, then charged toward Ganondorf again.

The duel went on much like this. Ganondorf's anger kept building and building; he knew he was losing. He began to take cheap shots, like jabbing at Link's leg when their blades were locked, or taking wild punches to his stomach and face. Link was able to dodge most of them, but one time Ganondorf's knuckles made heavy contact with Link's stomach, and he doubled over in pain, dropping the Sword of Light. Lacking the strength to get up, Link could only moan in pain and need of breath.

Ganondorf ruthlessly slammed his knee into Link's already damaged face. Link tumbled and sprawled to the floor yet again. His breath returned, Link leaped to his feet and dove for his sword. Ganondorf moved to stop him, but Link was too quick. He snatched up the sacred sword from the ground and twisted into a stylish upward swing that made a small cut that trailed from Ganondorf's hip to his collarbone. Ganondorf fell to the floor. Link waited for Ganondorf to stand back up before attacking him again. As soon as Ganondorf was on his feet, Link returned the favor and smashed his golden gauntlet-clad fist right in the center of his face. Ganondorf literally flew back without touching the ground and slammed into the somewhat near wall, cracking and denting the wall. Several bricks came loose from the wall and crashed to the ground. Ganondorf was in a daze. He hit his head really hard on the wall. He staggered to his feet and stood in a clumsy battle stance, still a little dizzy. Link waited for him to collect his senses, which was a mistake on his part.

Ganondorf abandoned the rules and sent forth a charge of dark energy straight at Link's abdomen. The beam of magic collided into Link's stomach and hurled him farther than Link's punch had to Ganondorf. He didn't fly far enough to hit a wall, luckily, but the landing on the ground wasn't a pleasant one. He landed right on his hip and his head hit the floor. Now both duelists were somewhat wobbly on their feet.

The duel continued when Link and Ganondorf raced to meet each other. The duel had lost its heat, its intensity, and had become a wearying affair that left them both breathless. They ended a bout to catch their breaths, panting heavily.

"You can't win, Link," said Ganondorf.

"Only because you cheated," Link said smartly.

"I simply revised the rules of the game."

"Hm. Thanks for letting me know you lying cheat."

Ganondorf seethed at the insult and bellowed mightily as he bore down on Link with blow after blow after blow. Link again parried his blows with ease, letting them roll off the surface of his sword rather than taking the full brunt of his swings.

Unexpectedly, Ganondorf threw his knee upward towards Link. Link dodged backward, but it threw him off guard. He barely had time to duck under a swing that would have taken off his head. In this position, Link abandoned his sword and threw himself around Ganondorf's middle. Ganondorf lost all his breath as Link tackled him to the ground. In his fury, Link sat on Ganondorf's chest and pounded his face as many times as he could. With the golden gauntlets, it was like five Gorons were punching him at once.

Finally, Link stood up to take a look at his handiwork. Ganondorf's face was all but recognizable. He was still alive, but he was unconscious. Both his eyes were already swollen, and his nose was broken. Blood trickled from his mouth and nose like a small fountain.

Link tiredly picked up his sword and sheathed it on his back. He then went over to where he dropped all his other weapons and strapped them around his waist and his back as well. Then he went over to Marek, who had watched the duel in awe.

"You are an amazing fighter, Link," said Marek.

"Thank you, Marek, but I believe it's time we got you to safety," Link replied.

"I am sorry, Link, but I lack the strength to stand," said Marek with a wince. Without a word Link picked Marek up and carried him over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. He then carried him out of the cellar of treasures and placed him upon Epona's saddle.

"What were you planning on doing with all that treasure?" Link asked Marek as he climbed up on the horse.

"I found it all during my travels with Uked," Marek wheezed. "I plan to give it to the Royal Family to use to better the lifestyle of Hyrule."

"That's very noble of you," said Link. "But you'll have to tell me the rest later. Ganondorf could awaken any moment." Link turned to face the exit of the basin. "Hyaa!" he cried, whipping the reins. Epona whinnied and set off into the distance.

A/N: A quick update for me, especially with how busy I've been lately what with devil homework. This may have seemed a little bit straightforward, which should make sense since I wrote it in about an hour. Please read and review!


	14. Safe

**Chapter 13: Safe**

Link blasted through Hyrule City's drawbridge just as it opened, causing some residents to shout and dive out of the way. He continued his mad dash for the castle, Epona galloping full speed for the wrought iron gate that led to the castle grounds. The guards barely had enough time to open it before he burned a path through to the castle itself, where the drawbridge lowered for him. He finally slowed down once inside, and dismounted to tie Epona up in the stable.

Marek was in a daze. He had been shouting and screaming as soon as Link decided he'd make the trip home fun. With every turn and every snap of the reins, Marek hollered in protest, hanging on for dear life.

Link led the old man up to the throne room, where Zelda had told him to meet her. There was nobody in there, so he waited near the entrance.

When someone finally did enter, it was not Zelda, but rather her father, the king, who entered. Link knew who it was immediately because of the large golden crown and the flowing, thick red cape. Link and Marek both bowed on one knee as the king entered the throne room escorted by a unit of guards. The king came before the two and motioned for them to rise. Link's mouth quickly became dry.

"Marek, old buddy!" cried the king, grabbing the old man in a huge, bone-crushing hug. Apparently these two knew each other. "It has been far too long!"

The king had a very jovial look about him. He was enormously fat, and had rosy cheeks all the time from the effort it took to move that huge body around. His head was bald on top and the sides were platinum white, as was his short beard.

"Indeed it has, Your Grace," said Marek.

"And who might this young one be?" asked the king, turning to Link. "You must be the village boy Zelda told me about. Link, is it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Link with a bow.

"Please boy, no need for formalities. Zelda told me how much you've already done for Hyrule. You will be a great asset to our great nation."

"Thank you very much, Your Highness."

"Speaking of Zelda, where is my daughter?" asked the king to one of his guards.

"Last I saw her she was in the courtyard, sir," said one of them.

"Go fetch her, if you will," said the king.

"At once, sir." The guard hurried off out of the throne room in the direction of the courtyard.

"So, Link. How many monsters have you killed?" asked the king. Link was a little startled at this statement.

"Uh, none, sir," Link replied. "No monsters."

"Have you killed anything?"

"I wouldn't put it that way, but yes, I have killed a man."

"A man?"

"Yes, just the one," Link replied. He began to think about the man he killed in Marek's house. He never really thought about it, he just did it. What he had done never really had an impact upon him until now. As an after-effect of the destruction of Kakariko Village, Link had been desensitized toward death for some reason. Was it his anger? His lust for revenge?

"I'm sorry, boy," the king replied. "A man's first kill is never easy. Most men never do kill anybody, and they always turn out best. But a kill for justice or in protection of another is a very great thing."

"Thank you, sir," Link replied. Just then, the guard returned with Princess Zelda, who seemed delighted at Link's return. She came straight over to Link and wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. Link was a little startled at first, but returned the hug warmly. There was nothing wrong with a friendly hug, right? He was sure Malon would understand.

"I'm glad you're back," she said. When she saw his cut and bruised face, she frowned. "What happened to you?"

"I ran into Ganondorf. I didn't find anything about their purpose at the lake, but he was interrogating Marek about the location of the sword. I don't think he even noticed I was wielding it," Link explained.

"Well, that's good. You fought him, then?"

"Yes, I did. It wasn't easy, but I emerged victorious. I took Marek back here when the fight was over."

"Is he… dead?" Zelda asked.

"No, I did not kill him. He was breathing when I left."

"Well, that is good anyway. At least he knows what he's dealing with now," said Zelda. She turned to Marek.

"It's good to see you again, Marek," said Zelda, giving the old man a hug as well. Apparently these two knew each other as well.

"Yes, it is, Your Highness," Marek replied.

Zelda turned back to Link and presumed a formal stance. "I have no more assignments for you now. Just be on the lookout for any suspicious characters. I'll contact you if I need you."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Link said with a bow. He turned to leave the throne room. Before he could, the king spoke to him.

"Link, my boy," said the king, running up to him.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Link asked.

"I would like to invite you to a formal ball this Friday," the king said.

"F-formal ball?" Link asked.

"Yes, my boy. We are celebrating the one thousandth anniversary of Hyrule. It is a _very_ formal occasion. One I'm sure you would not want to miss."

Link hesitated. "What will I wear?" he finally asked. The king boomed a hearty laugh.

"Have you no formal clothes?" the king asked. Link shook his head. The king stroked his beard for a moment.

"I'm sure we have some extra ones for you. Guard!" cried the king. A guard turned his head. "Go and fetch my extra dress clothes!" The guard nodded and rushed off. It was not long before he returned.

Link didn't know what to say. He knew for sure the fat man's clothes would not fit him, but knew it would be rude to say so. But when he saw the clothes, he found that they were perfect for him.

"When I say old clothes, I mean back before I gained this gut," said the king, giving his round belly a great smack. Link chuckled and took the clothes gratefully.

"Thank you, Your Grace. You can be assured that I will be there," Link said. The king nodded and allowed him to leave.

Link knew exactly what he was going to do with his free time. He was going to look for Malon. Problem was, he didn't know where she was staying. There was a good chance she had given up on waiting for him and found somewhere else to stay. But since she was with her father, there was also a good chance she was still at the inn.

Link untied Epona from the stable and mounted. This time, he didn't drive her to full speed. She needed rest. He slowly trotted out of the castle and went around the winding bends of the beautiful castle grounds.

When he made it past the wrought iron gate and into the marketplace, he made a beeline for the inn that had once been the Happy Mask Shop, where he was hoping Malon was staying. He tied Epona to a post in front and entered. He then went over to the front desk and rang the bell there. It took a moment, but soon a clerk came to the desk.

"Yes, how may I help you, sir?" the clerk asked.

"Can I have a look at the guest list, sir?" Link asked. The man hesitated, and slowly nodded his head. Link found this odd. The clerk slid a piece of parchment across the desk to him, and Link took a look. Finally, he found what he wanted: Talon and Malon, Room 16.

"Can you send a message to room 16, please?" Link asked. The clerk nodded again and handed Link a quill, a bottle of ink, and a piece of parchment. Link began to write:

_Malon,_

_I have spoken with the princess; I have loads to tell you. As soon as you get this message, meet me at the fountain in the center of Hyrule Market. I'll see you then._

_Link_

Link then handed the parchment to the hotel clerk. "Thank you," he said. The clerk nodded and looked at Link with what looked like fear. Link shrugged as he left the inn and untied his steed from the post in front.

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A/N: Sort of a fluffy chapter to contradict the previous one. Don't worry, plenty of action to come. I thought I'd add suspense by making you guys wait before Link and Malon finally see each other again. Things are going to pick up from earlier chapters, and that's all I have to say about that. Read and review!


	15. Reunion

**Chapter 14: Reunion**

Link sat on the edge of the fountain for what seemed like forever, while people roamed by totally ignoring him. The hustle and bustle of Hyrule Market had just begun when he had entered the inn to speak with Malon, and it had only increased since he arrived. His anxiousness to see his love again was overwhelming; it dominated every corner of his mind.

Was she going to keep him waiting forever? He began to get more and more anxious. The moment he had been running through in his head for years now was about to occur. Within the hour (he hoped), he could very well be finally confessing his true feelings for Malon, something he had desperately wanted to do since he first met her.

Suddenly, time stopped. Link cast his gaze over to the entrance of the inn where Malon had been staying. He caught a glimpse of the door closing before his eyes rested on another pair of the most beautiful eyes he knew. His eyes roamed across her beautiful features, as she moved toward him at a speed that, to him, seemed like an inch per minute.

Malon smiled warmly at him. Link was in a trance, but his brain managed to send the message to his jaw muscles and make his lips stretch into the brightest smile that had ever been etched on his face.

And then time returned to normal, and Malon was running toward him, still smiling. Link held his arms out in a rather awkward fashion and allowed Malon to leap into his arms and he lifted her high into the air, where he looked straight into her stunning eyes. He brought her back down to the ground and they stared at each other. Then Link used his hand to move a strand of fire-red hair from her eyes and kissed her with a passion she had most definitely never witnessed. Link kissed her as hard as he could, and she kissed him back just as hard. After their momentous, fervent kiss, Link put his forehead upon hers and stared into her eyes.

"I love you," he said, and kissed her again, this time much more lightly. Malon smiled so big she could have pulled a jaw muscle and she threw her arms around his neck and held him as tightly as she ever had. Link pulled her in and held her just as tightly, never ever wanting to let go. He buried his face in her hair and kissed her head several times. They stood there holding each other for a long time before they finally pulled apart.

Without a word, Link took her hand, and she linked her fingers with his. Link led her over to Epona and placed her in the saddle before climbing up in front of her. "Hyaa!" Link cried, kicking the horse's sides. Epona soundlessly took the wonderful couple out of Hyrule Market for whatever destination Link decided upon.

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"This is really romantic, Link," said Malon as her head rested on her lover's shoulder. Link put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer.

"Isn't it?"

They sat there together in silence, looking over a hill in Hyrule Field and watching the sunset. They just stared for a long time. Link had entranced himself by the rhythm in which he was rubbing his hand on Malon's shoulder. After a while, she spoke.

"Link?" she asked.

"Hm?" said Link, making as little noise as possible as to not disturb the peacefulness.

"When will I see you again? After tonight, I mean?"

Link thought. There was a good chance they would see each other again tomorrow. It all depended upon when Zelda contacted him.

Just as Link was about to answer this question, Link heard an odd sound. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but it wasn't a sound he liked.

"Do you hear that?" Link asked her. Malon seemed absorbed for a second, and then snapped back to reality.

"Hear what?" she said.

"That weird… sound," Link replied. Malon cocked her head to one side as she heard it too.

Suddenly a huge explosion shook the ground and launched them both into the air. Link instinctively wrapped his arms around Malon in mid-air and angled himself so that he would cushion her fall. A second later, Link's back hit the ground hard. A rock that jutted out of the ground hit him right in the small of his back, knocking all the wind out of him and temporarily paralyzing him.

"Link, are you all right?" Malon asked, rolling off him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Link gasped. He could still barely breathe.

"I'm going to check it out," said Malon. Link held out his hand and shook his head, but it was too late. She had already headed over the hill to see what had caused the explosion.

Malon came over the crest of the hill and stopped abruptly, shocked at what she saw.

She had expected to see a large black crater or something, but instead all she saw was a man, standing there rather calmly. But she didn't like the calmness about him. And there was something about his face, and mainly his eyes, that bothered her.

"Who are you?" Malon asked.

The man said nothing, only smiled and crossed his arms over his chest.

It happened very quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the man was standing right in front of her, and for a brief second she was able to take in his features.

His skin was a mixture between pasty-white and gray, not human-like. His hair spiked backward and had strange white streaks in it. Both his ears were pierced with some kind of predator's tooth. But his eyes were the worst. The part that was normally supposed to be white was a yellowish-orange, while the iris and pupil were charcoal black. He may have been human at one point, but he wasn't any longer.

All this happened in a split second before the man snatched Malon up by the waist. She screamed.

This caused Link to sit up. He still couldn't breathe well, and his left leg was numb. He limped up to the top of the hill just in time to see the freakish, yellow-eyed man cut a rift through the air with an extremely jagged sword. Even though he had never seen it before, he knew exactly what it was, and also the name of its wielder.

It was the Sword of Darkness, and the man was Xaar.

"Stop!" Link shouted, beginning to draw the Sword of Light. But it was already too late. Xaar stepped into the abyss and gave a cutesy little wave before it closed up. Link had started to run, already knowing it was futile.

"What do you want with her?" he screamed at nobody. He fell to his knees in defeat. The enemy, for no apparent reason, had captured his one true love.

Tears began to well up in Link's eyes as he beat at the ground in anger and frustration. How could he have let this happen? As soon as he heard that strange noise, he should have known something was up and gotten Malon out of there.

Link had created a medium-sized crater with his enormous strength granted by the golden gauntlets. His face was now streaming with tears. And as if to accentuate his anguish, the sky began to pour rain. Link let the rain soak his clothes to his body and his hair to his face without moving. He sat there, on his knees, staring at his crater for a long time before he did anything.

Link stood up resolutely. He knew exactly what he would do. All he needed was the means to do it.

He made his way over to Epona, who was whinnying like crazy at the disappearance of his owner. He climbed upon her saddle and clicked his tongue and kicked her sides, headed straight for Hyrule Castle.

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A/N: Yet another update by xakattak! This chapter was difficult for me to write, again, for no apparent reason. Please R&R, I need the feedback people! I need to know how I can improve. And you know what, I don't give a damn if you don't like Malink stories, read it for the action, not the romance!


	16. Temper

**Chapter 15: Temper **

Zelda was speaking with her father when Link burst into the throne room, his clothes sopping wet and his hair stuck to his face. He strode determinedly toward the king and the princess, not caring about the shock on their faces. It wasn't his appearance that shocked them, but rather, his eyes. They saw that same frightening emotion reflected in his eyes that had caused Malon to shrink from him in fear.

"Link, what's wrong?" Zelda asked.

"What is it, my boy?" King Daphnes asked.

Link took a deep breath, and then spoke. "Xaar has taken Malon," said Link. His voice cracked when he spoke her name.

"Who is Malon?" asked the king.

"She is someone very important to me and I don't think it would be pleasant for you if she died because of lack of information from you. Now tell me where he is so I can kill him!" Link cried. By the time he finished his sentence, his nose was almost touching the king's. Everyone present, including the guards, was a little uneasy at Link's demeanor.

"Link, calm down," said King Daphnes calmly. "If you can just relax, I will tell you where you can find Xaar and the Dusk Legion.

"Back when Nox began to study dark magic, he discovered something in the Spirit Temple in the Desert Colossus. I'm sure you know of this place," said the king.

"Yes, I do," Link said impatiently.

"There is a large altar through a secret entrance in another Gerudo statue's eye. When he discovered this altar, he thought nothing of it. But when he brought his Sword of Darkness with him, a pathway to the Dark Realm was revealed. It is in this Dark Realm that Xaar resides. He already rules everything and everywhere in the Dark Realm, which is the exact opposite of Hyrule. The lay of the land and everything pertaining to it is the same, only there is something indescribably evil about it. If you plan on going to the Dark Realm, I suggest you do not spend a lot of time there and also, I cannot allow you to go there without a full battalion of troops. Even so, I would be very nervous about sending my own men into a place so dangerous."

"Wait a minute, father," said Zelda. "Doesn't this sound an awful lot like a trap to you?"

The king thought for a brief moment. "I suppose," he mused.

"Why would Xaar show himself, alone, to Link and capture his… friend for no reason? I think he wants to lure Link into a trap so he can acquire the Sword of Light, and we can _not _let him have it under any circumstance."

"I don't care if it's a trap, I won't let myself fall into it," Link said arrogantly.

"Link, I don't like you like this," said Zelda, grabbing a hold of his shoulders. "You need to think rationally. Even with a full battalion of Hyrule's finest troops, there is no way you could get in and out of the Dark Realm, confront Xaar, and take Malon out of there alive, especially when you're concentrating on getting Malon and not enough on falling into Xaar's trap. We need to plan."

"We don't have time to plan! Xaar has Malon, and there's no telling what he'll do to her!" Link cried.

"I can tell you now he can't afford to kill her," said Zelda. "He needs her to get to you."

Link crossed his arms and sighed deeply. She was right, though he hated to admit it.

"Okay," he gave in. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Well, this is going to take a lot of planning, and maybe you should take _two _battalions with you," said Zelda.

"Zelda, that's too many!" said Daphnes. "If Xaar sees it as a threat, it could mean the end of Hyrule as we know it! His armies greatly outnumber ours in size and strength. We would be crushed if he decided upon it."

"But isn't that his plan already?" Zelda asked. "Why would he be trying to acquire the Sword of Light if he wasn't planning on conquering us?"

The king sighed in defeat. "I don't like this plan," he said weakly.

"It is very high risk," Zelda admitted. "But it's the only chance we have. Wouldn't this be a great opportunity for Link to fulfill the prophecy anyway?"

"What prophecy?" Link asked.

"The one I had in my dream," said Zelda. This didn't ring a bell for Link. "The one I told you about when I gave you the Sword?"

Now he remembered.

"But he's a rookie!" said the king. Link resented that statement. "He's barely even fought anybody!"

"He took on Ganondorf by himself!" Zelda cried. "I think that's qualification enough1"

"No, it's not. Have you any idea how powerful Xaar is?" the king asked. Zelda sighed. King Daphnes turned to Link. "With a single breath, Xaar could obliterate you into a thousand pieces, and you'd have no way of seeing it. You are in no way capable of going into the Dark Realm and taking back your bonnie lass."

"I can do this," Link said with a steely look on his face. "I can do this."

"No," said the king, shaking his head. "No."

"Then teach me. Teach me how to be a good enough fighter to take Xaar on," Link pleaded. "Please. I can't live without her."

The king took a deep breath. It seemed for a moment that he would accept, but then he shook his head.

"I'm sorry boy, but that would take years. I've yet to meet a single person who could take on Xaar alone."

"But Link is the chosen wielder of the Sword of Light. He is a descendant of Lux! Surely that is enough for you?" said Zelda.

The king sighed deeply again. He didn't even need advisors; this is what his daughter was for.

"Link, if you need to get to the Dark Realm in a hurry, then there's no chance of saving your girl," the king said bluntly. Link held his head in his hands.

"But, if what Zelda says is true, and he needs her to get to you, I think we might have some time on our hands to strengthen and teach you enough to take on Xaar. But there is no way we have time to train you enough to be able to defeat him. We would have to concoct a plan to get away from him and take your woman back."

Link began to shake with anger. He couldn't believe this. They were going to make her wait!

"NO!" Link shouted. "I have to go get her NOW!"

"Link, calm down," said Zelda.

"I DARE YOU, BOY!" the king roared. "See how long you last in the Dark Realm alone! If you want both yourself and Malon to be alive by the end of this, then I suggest you stay here and wait until you are capable!"

There was an eerie silence. Nobody spoke. Everyone was in shock at the king's sudden outburst.

"I care about you, boy," said the king softly, taking Link's shoulders in his hands. "I've liked you since I met you. But you aren't thinking clearly. Don't throw your life away. You need to think ahead."

Link sighed. "I-I'm sorry, your Highness," said Link. "You're right. What do I have to do?"

The king cleared his throat and sat back down on his throne. "You will be trained to become a mage knight," said the king.

"A mage knight, sir?" Link asked. The king nodded.

"A mage knight is a spellcaster who is skilled with melee weapons. Xaar is a very accomplished dark mage knight, and if you hope to defeat him, you must be somewhere close to his skill level. But, I sense that you will advance in the ranks quickly and might even be able to tackle this task within a month."

"A month?" Link asked. He almost had another fit of rage. That was a very long time to keep Malon waiting.

"This is the shortest amount of time I will allow. Any shorter and it would be a fool's errand."

Link nodded. He was ready.

"What must I do?" Link asked.

"I will send you to meet General Chaucer. He is a good man, and my second-in-command. He also happens to be the leader of the Mage Knights' Guild. This is a very large building in the western part of Hyrule City. I will have a coach escort you," said the king, and he waved two fingers at a guard, who leaned down so the king could whisper in his ear. The guard nodded when the king was done and rushed off.

Link contemplated what this meant. First off, he realized he had a short temper he needed to control. Secondly, he realized that Malon would be waiting for him in the Dark Realm for a month. He couldn't imagine how horribly awful this would be, especially if she was most certainly chained up in some dungeon. The very thought of it brought tears to his eyes.

"I'm coming, Malon," said Link, fighting back tears. "Hang in there."

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A/N: So, what'd you guys think? I can't know unless you REVIEW! So do it, 'kay?


	17. Guild

**Chapter 16: Guild**

Link made his way down the main street of Hyrule City on Epona's back, enjoying the sound of the clopping of Epona's hoofs on the cobblestone. He noticed several people offering him strange looks. He wasn't in the mood to reply. Mostly his thoughts lately had been negative and glum. He had to wait a month before he could go after Malon. To Link, that was almost too much to bear. He didn't know what he'd do if Malon had been hurt or killed.

When he arrived at the central plaza, he looked to his right to see a massive stone building. Huge pillars supported a large veranda that led into the building itself. Great banners hung from windows with the Hyrule colors, the Triforce, and an emblem around it he did not recognize. He assumed this must be the Mage Knights' Guild.

Link made his way for the enormous building to a sign that said, "Leave horses here." Link dismounted and tied Epona to a pillar near the sign. He then headed for the main doorway, where two large men clad in armor stood guard, wielding large pikes. Link was about to enter the building when they crossed their pikes over the doorway, causing Link to jump back.

"I'm sorry, sir, if you wish to enter, you must state your purpose for entering the Mage Knights' Guild," said one of the guards.

"The king sent a message that I was about to arrive," Link said officially.

"What's your name?" asked the guard.

"Link," he replied. The guard nodded and they both stepped back, allowing Link passage into the guild.

Link entered the building amazed. There were statues of men in cloaks on either side of the main hall, each one holding some kind of bowl, in which enchanted blue flame burned. Link, in his curiosity, reached out to touch the flame. He was shocked when his fingers passed right through the flame, no harm done to his skin or his gold gauntlets.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" a voice said behind him. Link was startled. The man laughed.

"The flame is a spell," the man explained. "Its purpose is merely to illuminate the room."

Link nodded, not knowing what to say. There was a short uncomfortable silence before the man introduced himself.

"I am General Ryllin Chaucer, head of the Mage Knights' Guild and second-in-command to King Daphnes Johansen the third," he said with a bow.

"Sir, why are you bowing to me?" Link asked.

"Why, you are the wielder of the Triforce of Courage, are you not? You are a servant of the goddesses above. It is a privilege to meet you."

This was the first time anyone had acknowledged Link in such a way, and he had to admit, he liked it.

"When do I get started?" Link asked.

"I shall give you a tour of the guild today, and tomorrow we will begin your training. We will train you for a month, as the king instructed me, and when you return from your quest, we shall finish your training. This will take much longer than a month."

"How much longer?" Link asked.

"A year, possibly two," said Chaucer.

"Will I be able to leave the guild?" Link asked, worried.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to visit your lass after you've rescued her," said the general with a laugh. The king must have told him everything. "Shall we?"

Link followed General Chaucer through a hallway that led to the eastern side of the building. He pointed out bedrooms of important figures of the guild; people who would be training him in certain areas, people who oversaw happenings at the guild, and high-achieving students at the guild as well.

"We are students at the guild?" Link asked.

"We are always students, young one," said General Chaucer. "Not a moment goes by in our lives that we are not learning as a student in one aspect or another."

General Chaucer then led him into a very large room, where there was a pulpit and several rows of pews.

"This looks like a church," said Link.

"This is the chapel. This is where we worship Nayru, Din, and Farore. It is also where we gather as a guild to discuss matters that concern everyone."

Chaucer then led Link out of the building and into the courtyard, where several students practiced magic, archery, and melee training. Link saw children younger than he wielding swords and maces and axes with more expertise than he had.

"Focus," said an elderly teacher to a teenaged boy. "Let it flow through your veins and exit from your fingertips."

Link saw the boy, who looked to be the same age as he was, concentrate earnestly. He closed his eyes as he aimed his fingers at a straw dummy. Suddenly, a huge burst of flame shot from his fingertips and ignited the dummy, burning it black in a matter of seconds. The elderly teacher patted the student on the back.

"This will be the center for your training," said General Chaucer after Link was done observing. The general seemed amused at Link's fascination. "You will spend most of your time here and in the library when you are not sleeping."

Link then followed the general from the courtyard to a corridor that had a nice view of the courtyard. The general pointed to the highest point of the guild, which was a large circular tower that overlooked the courtyard.

"Those are my quarters. It is where I study individual profiles of each student to get to know them better."

They continued along the tour to the library, where they had to whisper. Many students were studying alone or in groups. Link saw many different books: "Creatures of Hyrule," "Mage Knight Spells, Level 1," "Regions of Hyrule," "The Mystery of the Desert Colossus," and many more. The last book caught Link's attention immediately.

"How many copies of each book are there?" Link asked.

"There are only two copies of each book, and there are a total of approximately one thousand books in here. That means there are five hundred different books. There are lots of things you can study in here; things that are required, and leisurely study.

"Well, that's all I have to show you today. Tomorrow, we will begin your melee training. I realize you are efficient with the sword, but we can train you to be competent enough to take on twenty average soldiers."

"What about highly accomplished dark Mage Knights?" Link asked.

"Probably not in a month, but do not worry. I am sure you will be good enough to take on that man and live."

Link gulped. He didn't like the way General Chaucer said that.

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A/N: Okay, another update from xakattak! Your reviews will be appreciated. Please review if you read.


	18. Training

**Chapter 17: Training**

Link was sleeping soundly before he was awakened.

"Get up!" a gruff voice said. Link was shaken awake.

"What is it? Who are you?" Link asked.

"I'm your roommate," said the boy in front of him. He had short black hair and dark skin. His eyes were a fascinating shade of brown, and his muscular build was similar to Link's. "My name is Xak."

"Pleased to meet you," said Link, holding out his hand. Xak did not take it, but cleared his throat.

"Your teacher, Master Ronin, desires to meet with you. Now. In the courtyard by the melee training arena," Xak said curtly. "He also suggests that next time you do not sleep in."

Link shrugged apologetically and stood to his feet from his bed and strode over to the wardrobe he apparently shared with Xak. Xak left the room to go about his own studies while Link changed into the clothes provided by the guild; simple trousers, a shirt, and a cloak, all a deep russet color with intricate navy blue trim. Link then left his room and made for the courtyard, where Master Ronin was waiting for him.

Link saw Master Ronin near the melee training arena, hands clasped in front of him. Master Ronin was the youngest teacher at the guild; he looked no older than twenty-five. He had light brown hair and striking features.

"Sorry I'm late," Link apologized.

"It's fine, Link," said Master Ronin. "But please don't make it a habit." Link nodded apologetically.

"Now, we know you have skills with the sword, but we want to find a rank to place you in. We will pit you against several different students, each of a different rank."

"What are the ranks?" Link asked.

"There are several. The first and lowest is Trainee. Your first opponent will be one. I will tell you the ranks as you meet your opponents," said Master Ronin.

Link nodded and stepped into the small, stone-encircled ring full of sand. A nervous young boy stood inside with a training sword: a hard, wood weapon shaped into a perfect sword.

Master Ronin threw a training sword to Link and he caught it skillfully, facing his opponent.

"Begin," said Master Ronin. The boy charged Link instantly. Link easily dodged around him and tapped the back of his head with his training sword lightly. The duel was over.

Master Ronin coughed shortly and shooed the sniffling boy out of the ring. He then sent a slightly older boy, who looked to be in his mid-teens, a little bit younger than Link.

"This boy is a Novice, which is one rank higher than Trainee," Master Ronin explained. "Begin."

Again, the boy charged first. He took a swing for Link's face, which he easily parried. Link then countered the attack into the boy's abdomen before he could react. Link congratulated him for trying, and the young teen shuffled out of the ring.

Master Ronin ushered an older teen in, who looked to be Link's age.

"This one is an Adept, one rank higher than Novice," said Master Ronin. "Begin."

The Adept was smarter than his two predecessors. He did not charge wildly for Link, but slowly circled around him. Link kept his eye on the Adept's, looking for something that would give away his next move.

Link saw it: a flicker in his eye toward Link's ankle. He lunged, and Link jumped over the swing. Before his feet hit the ground, his sword came around and made brief contact with the Adept's neck. If it had been a real sword, the Adept would have been decapitated.

"Well done, Link," said Master Ronin. The Adept bowed politely to Link, and Link returned the gesture. Master Ronin sent a young adult girl in the ring.

"This one is a Level One Mage Knight. I've given her restrictions as to what spells he may cast on you, but he is allowed to cast them," Master Ronin cautioned. "Begin."

Link was surprised at how quick she was. The Level One sent a quick flash of electricity toward Link, but it missed and kicked up a small amount of sand. Link could tell it was to distract him from the second one, which he rolled away from as soon as the sand was kicked up.

The Level One swung her sword at Link in mid-roll. It nearly clipped him, but it hit the sand instead. Link got to his feet and parried a second blow, which was aimed straight at his forehead. Link made for the Level One's belly, but she backed away quickly. Link made a fake for her face and then caught her around the waist, finishing her.

"Very well done, Link! I did not expect you to be this high!" Master Ronin exclaimed, clapping his hands loudly. Link gulped. That fight was rather difficult. He did not think he would complete the next one.

The next student actually looked younger than the Level One, but he was very big. Link assumed this was a Level Two.

"This is a Level Two Mage Knight," said Master Ronin. Correct guess. "Begin."

Link lost in a matter of seconds. The Level Two caused a wall of wind and sand to surround Link, making him completely disoriented. The Level Two broke through the sand wall and brushed his training sword across Link's middle.

Link couldn't wait until he was that powerful. The sand fell back down to the ground, and Master Ronin was clapping once again. The Level Two bowed, and Link returned it again.

Link followed the Level Two out of the ring and went up to Master Ronin.

"Well done, Link," he said. "Now, I would place you as a Level One, but I'm afraid I can't yet until you know the basic Level One spells. You are, for now, an Adept. At first, learning magic will probably be very difficult, but it is easy to catch on to and once you've gotten a hold of it, you advance quickly. Now, come this way."

Link followed his master through the courtyard to an area where several students were practicing magic. He saw fireballs, bolts of lightning, and some students were running at amazing speeds.

"Now, the first spell all Adepts must learn is Lightning. It is quite easy once you know how to concentrate magic. I shall teach you the basic steps.

"First, you must ready yourself in a fluid stance," said Master Ronin. He placed his right foot in front of him and his left foot behind him, holding his hands in front of his chest. Link imitated him.

"Then is the tricky part. The Level One spellbook tells you that you must channel energy from your brain to your heart and release the magic there. That in itself sounds tricky, but I've discovered a technique that is a little easier.

"To let the lightning sprout from your fingertips, you need to close your eyes," said Master Ronin. Link obeyed. He felt like an idiot with a bladder problem the way he was standing.

"Now Link, have you ever seen a thunderstorm?" Master Ronin asked. Link opened one eye and peered at him with a look that said, "Are you joking?"

"Just making sure," Master Ronin grunted. "Now, think of the biggest bolt of lightning you've ever seen. Do you have that picture in your mind?"

"Yes," Link said rather impatiently. Master Ronin hesitated before continuing.

"Now that you have that picture, think of that lightning bolt coming down from the sky and striking you in the head."

This was ridiculous.

"Then, stretch out your arms and spread your fingers apart. Picture that lightning bolt striking you in the head again, only this time, picture it traveling through your body and out your fingertips."

It happened instantly after he said it. Link felt a surge of energy and opened his eyes to see a web of lightning spreading across his vision. Trees and grass caught fire instantly. Students and teachers alike scrambled to put out the fire with water spells. Link shrunk from his stance and the lightning disappeared. The fire was put out quickly, and the higher rank students were able to restore the charred black trees, grass, and plants back to their beautiful green form.

As soon as it was all over, they stared at Link. He could tell they weren't stares of admiration.

Master Ronin looked shocked. He had definitely not expected Link to learn it so quickly.

After that, Master Ronin was able to teach him much more quickly, and Link caught on instantly. Every once in a while, a student would scowl at him, but he ignored them. Xak, his roommate, glared at him more than anybody.

After training was done and it was time for dinner, several students bumped him or shoved him. Link's temper was growing short.

It kept going until they were almost at the dining room, where Link could handle it no longer.

A student came up behind him. Another student stood in front of him with a smirk. Without a word, the boy, who looked to be Link's age, brought up his arms to shove Link from the chest. The boy behind him ducked. Link could tell what they were trying to do. He wouldn't allow it.

Link gripped the boy's right hand before it made contact with his chest. He brought the boy's arm over so his elbow was in Link's reach. Link smashed his open palm into the boy's elbow, shattering the bone. The boy cried out and staggered backward, clutching his arm.

Link glared at him with contempt, as well as the boy who was ducking behind him. Before he went to the dining room, he kicked the boy, still ducking, in the ribs. He rolled a bit before stopping, holding a hand on the spot where Link kicked him. Link then strode angrily to the dining room, feeling all the students' frightened stares on his back. They would leave him alone now.

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A/N: This chapter was even boring for me at the beginning, so I imagine it probably was for you too. But tell me how the rest was. And be excited for my next update; I've got an important announcement to make!


	19. Progression

**Chapter 18: Progression**

**Three Weeks Later**

Link returned to the courtyard after a great lunch. He was in a jolly mood today; it was the day that he would finally reach Mage Knight Level Two.

It was when he met Mage Knight Level Two that he would qualify to take on Xaar, the man who caused this whole ordeal in the first place. Master Ronin was standing in front of the dueling arena, a much larger arena than the one Link had first fought in. Link had to fight in here to reach Mage Knight Level One as well.

It had only been his third day when he had reached Level One, two days after the day he had broken a student's arm. General Chaucer heavily rebuked him after that, but he suspected the general let him off easy for some reason. He had seen much heavier punishments for much lighter offenses.

Link arrived in front of Master Ronin with a small smile on his face.

"Are you ready, Link?" Master Ronin asked. Link nodded.

"You are aware that in order to become a Level Two, you must defeat an exceptional Level One in a duel?" Link nodded again. "Proceed," said Master Ronin.

Link passed Master Ronin and entered the arena, where, to his surprise, stood Xak. He and Link had become rather good friends, despite their rather nasty first impression. Xak was Link's only friend at the Guild.

"You ready for this, Link?" said Xak with a smile.

"You know I am," Link replied.

"Begin!" cried Master Ronin.

The duel began immediately. Xak moved with incredible speed toward Link, hurling small fireballs with every second step. Link countered them with an absorbing spell that strengthened his magic energy. When they were close enough to attack, Link brought up his training sword and parried Xak's heavy attack, and then countered it quickly. Xak dodged the attack and swiped at Link's abdomen, but Link moved out of the way. Link fired lightning toward Xak. One small bolt zapped into his thigh, making a little black mark on his pants.

With a short cry, Xak charged forth, and Link rushed to meet him. They were moving full speed when they both swung with all their might toward each other. Their swords met in mid-air with such force that both of them were knocked out of their hands. Now all they had was their magic.

Without warning, Xak shot a pillar of flame in Link's direction that would have killed him if he didn't counter it with ice. The two spells collided between them and pushed against each other.

Link cancelled the ice spell and began to absorb the flame that was being hurled at him. He instantly felt revitalized, while Xak was wasting all his energy on his flame spell.

Xak caught on quick and cancelled his spell as well. Link made to move to attack Xak, and so they began to circle. Link knew exactly what he would do. His and Xak's training swords were right next to each other, and all Link had to do was pull them toward him with a magnet spell. He made sure never to glance at them before he made his move.

Xak never saw it coming. Link suddenly turned his gaze toward the swords and pulled both swords into his hands. He now wielded two weapons, and Xak was defenseless.

Now Link made his charge. Xak knew he was defeated, but he still wouldn't give up. He launched more fireballs as Link charged, but he was able to dodge and absorb each one as they made their way to him. Finally, Link swept Xak's legs out from under him, knocking him to the ground. He then held the two swords he had obtained against Xak's neck.

"Yield!" Xak cried. Link dropped the swords, and with a smile helped Xak to his feet.

"Bravo!" cried Master Ronin, clapping his hands. Link and Xak both exited the arena.

"Talk to you later, Link," said Xak. Link nodded as his friend walked off to finish his studies. Link then stood before his master, who was about to tell him what he had to do next.

"Today you have free," said Master Ronin. "You can go anywhere you like that is on the Guild's grounds. Tonight, you will be inaugurated as a Level Two Mage Knight, second highest level in the Guild ranks."

"Thank you, Master Ronin," said Link with a bow. Master Ronin nodded and Link went to the library to look at a certain book. It was a certain book he had seen on his very first day here but had no time to actually look at until now.

He made sure to be extra quiet as soon as he entered the library. Link went up to the front counter, where the Gerudo librarian, Mistress Ablah, was sorting out several books. He was about to ask here where he could find "The Mystery of the Desert Colossus" when he saw her place a copy on the stack. Link snatched it without a word and took it to a table.

Link found the book to be of no help. It did not reveal the secret of the Desert Colossus, just speculated as to how it was built and gave several possibilities and things scientists have theorized. He was twenty pages into it when he slammed the book shut and placed it back on the stack at the front counter, disappointed.

Link was about to give up and head to his quarters, when another book caught his eye. It was titled, "The Dusk Legion: An Unstoppable Force."

Link went over to it and took it from the shelf. There was dust on the once-tight leather bound cover. Link blew it off and saw the same title he had seen on the side written in gold. He took the book and returned to the table he had been at. Carefully, Link opened the book and turned to the first page. It read thus:

_The Dusk Legion, an army created by Nox of old, has always been unstoppable. There is but a single thing that can defeat them, and that is the Sword of Light. Anything else would be a useless waste of time. Their new leader, Xaar, has yet to be defeated by any force. The united armies of Hanial, Termina, Subrosia, and Hyrule combined would not be enough to defeat Xaar and his Dusk Legion. Only the wielder of the Sword of Light can defeat them, but not alone. It is prophesied that the wielder, also known as the Hero of Light, shall rise up an army to his cause to utterly defeat the Dusk Legion and bring peace to the world forever._

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A/N: So, how did you enjoy it? The action's going to pick up really soon!

On another note, here's the announcement I said I'd make: I'm making this into a trilogy. So expect a very sudden and shocking ending to this story, as well as the second one! Only the third story will have an ending with a sense of finality. Of course, that's the idea of a trilogy. Anyway, tell me what you think by reading and reviewing. Until next time!


	20. Pursuit

**Chapter 19: Pursuit**

Link took a deep breath before entering the chapel, where all the Guild masters and General Chaucer were waiting for him and two other students who were about to become Level Twos.

Link then pushed the chapel doors open in silence. The inauguration was a very solemn process, the same process Link had gone through to become a Level One Mage Knight. He and the two other students walked down the chapel aisle slowly. At the end, in front of the pulpit, stood Master Ronin, General Chaucer, and the individual masters of the two other students.

When they finally came before them, they each knelt before their masters. There was a formal silence before General Chaucer spoke.

"Dear Great Goddesses," the general boomed. "We ask thee in the name of the Triforce to bless these students with the power of the Mage Knights, to aid and guide them in their quest to protect Hyrule. Amen."

Master Ronin reached behind him and took a brown cloak that was the same as Link's guild clothing and placed it around his shoulders, as did the other two masters to their students.

Then Link and the other two turned and stood to face the small audience of students. Link saw Xak in the crowd, as well as a girl he saw everywhere he went in the guild. They made eye contact, and she smiled. Link was a little surprised. Then General Chaucer spoke again.

"This day, three new students rise in the ranks at the Mage Knights' Guild, to make Hyrule a better place."

There was another silence as Link and the other two students walked back down the aisle to exit the chapel.

Link then went to his quarters in a hurry to pack his weapons. He grabbed the Sword of Light, his Fairy Bow, and his gold gauntlets. Almost right after he equipped himself, he heard Zelda's voice echo in his head.

_Link! Perfect timing! You've been inaugurated, right?_

Link whipped his head around, confused.

_I'm talking to you through the crystal ball. Just speak out loud. I'll hear you._

"Yes, I've been inaugurated," said Link, bewildered.

_Great! Get to the castle as fast as you can!_

"Will do," said Link. He raced toward the entrance of the guild, where General Chaucer was standing.

"Ah, I see you're off in a hurry," he said.

"Well, as quick as I can is always nice," Link replied with a smile. "I'll see you when I get back to finish my training!"

General Chaucer nodded as Link headed out the door toward the city stable, which was right around the corner. There he saw his beautiful mare, eating hay happily.

Link went over to her and placed a hand on her back. "Hey, girl. I haven't seen you in a while."

Epona whinnied happily in reply.

"We're going to go get Malon," said Link. "Does that sound fun?"

Again, Epona whinnied.

"That's my girl," Link said. He then opened the stall she was in and untied her. As soon as he could climb on her saddle, he leaped on top and snapped the reins. Epona whinnied and set off, guided by Link's hand. They were headed straight for the castle. It took them not two minutes to reach the grounds, and he didn't even have to stop at the iron gate. The drawbridge was already up for him to enter. Link dismounted Epona and tied her to the same spot he always did and headed for the throne room, where Zelda and the king both were. Zelda was sitting on her smaller throne that was next to her father's.

"Link, you're here!" Zelda cried. She rushed out of her throne and wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. Link returned the hug a little awkwardly.

"You came just in time," she said. "I've found something in the crystal ball! Come this way!" Zelda took Link's hand and rushed off out of the throne room. She led him to the castle library, which was empty. On the very center table was the crystal ball that was contained in the bag Link had taken from Marek's house.

"Now, look at this," said Zelda. "I found out how you can enter the Dark Realm."

Zelda let her hands hover over the crystal ball. At first, there was nothing. Then, Link could see Xaar at the Desert Colossus. There were several dead Gerudos around him. He wasn't alone, however. He was with several demonic-looking soldiers Link could only guess were the Dusk Legion. Malon's hands were chained behind her back, and Xaar had cast a spell on her that allowed him to make her move without touching her. The chains around her wrists were glowing an odd, deep purple color.

Xaar stood in front of a stone arch that sat in front of the massive statue that was the Desert Colossus. Xaar then drew the Sword of Darkness and raised it into the air. The tip shone the same deep purple as the cuffs around Malon's wrists. Then, a beam of dark energy blasted from the tip of the sword and collided with an invisible barrier within the stone arch. Instantly, a swirling black portal was revealed. Link gasped. This was the gateway to the Dark Realm!

As soon as Xaar and his small entourage of soldiers entered the portal, Link expected the portal to disappear. But it didn't. It remained there.

"What does this mean? When did this happen?" Link queried.

"I believe this happened the day after Malon was kidnapped. But the best part is, that portal is still there."

"It is?" Link asked.

"Yes," said Zelda. "It must have some kind of long-term time limit. I suggest that you get that battalion of troops and head over to the Desert Colossus right now. There's no telling when that portal will disappear, and if it does, there's no guarantee that you will ever be able to save Malon."

Link nodded and exited the room without a word, Zelda hot on his heels.

"Link, you have to be careful."

"Don't worry. I won't let Xaar trap me."

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed. "This is exactly what I was talking about when you came in here asking for help the first time. You make decisions too rashly, and eventually it's going to get you into trouble."

"I don't have time to observe the consequences. With every minute I wait, Malon becomes more and more weak. You said yourself that too much time spent in the Dark Realm is unhealthy."

"I did say that. But I don't want you going to get Malon and getting trapped yourself," said Zelda, somewhat softly. She got closer to Link. "I don't want you to get hurt…."

There was a brief silence. Zelda looked into Link's eyes. Link didn't know what to do. Before he could do anything, Zelda leaned in close. Uncomfortably close. Their lips almost touched when Link backed away.

"Zelda, the whole reason I'm going after Malon is because I love her," said Link softly. "I'm sorry Zelda. I don't feel that way about you."

Zelda nodded. He could tell she was hurt. Link didn't know what else to do, so he went into the throne room and bowed before the king.

"Good day, my boy," said the king. "Shall I get that battalion of troops?"

"As quickly as possible, my lord," said Link. King Daphnes nodded and told a guard to fetch General Chaucer.

"General Chaucer?" Link asked.

"Yes, I've asked General Chaucer to accompany you, along with a few students from the Mage Knights' Guild."

Link hoped Xak would be with him.

"Excellent!" said Link. "Xaar won't stand a chance!"

The king frowned. "You are too arrogant, boy," he said. "You still do not realize Xaar's power, do you?"

"I do, my king," said Link. "But I do not see a single possibility of Xaar standing a chance against me, General Chaucer, and a whole battalion of troops."

"You saw what he did to those Gerudo guards, did you not?" asked the king.

"Yes, but there weren't as many. Plus, this is the strength of the Hylian army we're talking about."

King Daphnes frowned again. He was about to speak when the clanking of armor alerted him to General Chaucer and a small escort's presence.

"Ah, General!" said the king, standing from his throne. General Chaucer came to the king and gave him a friendly hug.

"It's good to see you, my lord," said General Chaucer with a bow. "I have brought ten students from the Mage Knights' Guild, as well as five thousand of your Highness's greatest sword infantry."

"Excellent!" cried the king.

General Chaucer turned to Link. "It looks as if we'll be spending a lot more time with each other than we thought," said the general.

"Indeed, it does," Link replied. He looked behind the general to see who was in his escort. He was happy to see both Master Ronin and Xak with him.

"It is good to see you, Link," said Master Ronin.

"You too, Master," Link said with a bow. He then turned to Xak. "You ready for this, Link?"

"You know I am," Xak said with a smile.

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A/N: What a quick update, huh? It only gets better from here! Keep the reviews coming, please. This story is almost near its end. I'm not going to begin production on the sequel as soon as I finish, though. I think I'll write another unrelated story before I begin the sequel to this. Anyway, read and review!


	21. Colossus

**Chapter 20: Colossus**

Link led the battalion through Hyrule Field to the northwest corner of Hyrule, where the Desert Colossus could be found. The first night of the journey was approaching fast. Link could see little flecks of sand in the grass; the landscape was getting dryer as they approached the desert quicker.

"It will be a long journey," said Xak, as if reading Link's mind.

The entire battalion had been provided with horses, so it made things much easier on them when it came to speed and fatigue.

It was that night that they ran into trouble.

Link was sound asleep in his tent that he shared with General Chaucer, Xak, and Master Ronin when a soldier woke him. As soon as he was awake, Link could hear the clang of swords.

"What is it?" Link asked, sitting up in his bedroll quickly.

"Stalchildren!" said the soldier. Without another word, he exited the tent and assisted his brothers in the fight. Link awoke his tent mates.

"Xak! General Chaucer! Master Ronin! We've got trouble," Link cried as he snatched up the Sword of Light from his pack. His tent mates were aware of trouble, so they quickly took up their weapons and aided in the fight.

Link burst out of his tent, wearing naught but a thick pair of pants. His hair was tied back so it wouldn't gag him while he slept.

There were Stalchildren everywhere. Link took action and struck one in the head with a bolt of lightning. The head was knocked clean off, and the body shriveled shortly afterward.

Link then cut another Stalchild in half that ran past him after a soldier. Another Stalchild came straight for him in a blind charge, cackling hideously, bones rattling. It didn't stand a chance. Link could see its decayed organs through its ribs. He saw the heart pumping, and he dove to his knees, sword outstretched. The holy sword pierced straight through the heart, making the Stalchild wither up into the air.

The fight was quick, and there were no casualties. But Link feared that they would encounter Stalchildren every night.

The next morning, camp was packed up onto mules and the journey continued once again. Everyone was tired from the lack of sleep the previous night, but still they trudged on. Luckily the horses had gotten some sleep.

General Chaucer had to wake up several soldiers on the way there.

"Sorry, sir," said one soldier groggily.

"It's fine, soldier, just don't let me catch you falling asleep in battle," the general replied. The soldier was too tired to laugh.

They made it to Gerudo Valley around noon, when it was hottest. Link found himself joining several soldiers who had stripped off their shirts. It felt good, but with the sun beating down on his rather fair skin, Link ended up putting it back on for fear of sunburn.

Xak, on the other hand, looked almost dark enough to be a Gerudo. When Link asked him about it, he simply replied, "I just tan really easily."

They got rather nervous when they crossed the wood bridge that lay across the canyon. They had officially entered Gerudo territory, and the Gerudo were not very friendly with the Hylians at the moment.

"All right, men," said the general. "From this moment on, keep yourselves ready. I want everyone in his armor, right away. Be on edge. There's no telling if the Gerudos will decide to attack us. I assure you, they'll look for the slightest excuse. Do not give them that excuse."

The soldiers nodded as their individual squires suited them up. The process took about an hour, but it wasn't full armor they were wearing. They were wearing much like what Link was wearing; chain mail shirts, plate mail greaves, and plate mail shoulder guards, and a thick leather shirt over the chain mail shirt. If they had been donning a full suit of armor, they would have been there all day.

After they were all suited up, they continued through the Gerudo Valley and into the territory of the Gerudo Fortress. They passed through the small path that led straight to the Haunted Wasteland. Link had heard stories about that place.

There was a bluff above them to their right, and several Gerudo soldiers were staring down at them. They glared menacingly at them, several soldiers brandishing weapons. Link gulped. This didn't look good.

They arrived at a large gate that led to the Haunted Wasteland.

"Halt!" cried a Gerudo guard. General Chaucer wheeled on her.

"We are a battalion from Hyrule City, sent on a private mission by King Daphnes Johansen the third to the Desert Colossus. We must be allowed entry," he said with authority.

"Well, I'm sorry," said the guard snidely, "but that's not going to happen. You see, the Desert Colossus is off limits right now. A whole bunch of our guards there got taken out by some freaky guy with weird eyes."

"That's Xaar," said Link. "That's who we're after."

"That's too bad. You're not getting in," said the guard. Several of the surrounding Gerudo guards were beginning to close in on them. Link suspected that if there were a fight, it would be far too easy.

"You try our patience, madam," said General Chaucer threateningly. "You realize that you do not stand a chance against us, do you not? If you do not raise this gate, we will take it by force!"

Without another word, General Chaucer drew his sword and jabbed it into the Gerudo's throat. Her throat spewed crimson, covering General Chaucer and his sword, and the surrounding Gerudo leaped in. They never stood a chance. Not a single Hylian soldier was harmed. The Gerudo charged in with their halberds blindly and foolishly. Their weapons were sliced off at the tip and they were all instantly killed.

"That didn't last long now, did it?" said Master Ronin.

"Link, would you open the gate for us?" General Chaucer asked. Link nodded.

"It would be my pleasure," Link replied. There was a ladder that led to the top of the gate in front of him. He reached the base of it and began to climb. It was a rather tall ladder, but he scaled it quickly.

Suddenly, right before he reached the top, a scimitar sliced the wood right in front of his fingers. Link instinctively let go with one hand, causing his body to flip over and smack into the wall.

Reacting quickly, Link swung over with his free hand and let go with his other to avoid another swing of the scimitar. Then, with an effective speed spell, he was able to leap to the top in the blink of an eye and draw his sword. The Gerudo guard in front of him swung her sword, but Link dodged effortlessly. Another swing, and Link ducked and rolled under her legs. This caught her by surprise, and Link wheeled around, still on his knees, and thrust his sword through her back. The sword penetrated her flesh and came out on the other side of her stomach. With a screech, she fell off the gate and landed on the ground below, instantly coloring the sand scarlet.

There was a gate winch in front of Link. He took hold of one of the handgrips and pulled. It was fairly easy, and the gate began to rise. Link pulled a couple more times and the gate was high enough for the battalion to pass through.

"You handled yourself quite well up there, Link," said General Chaucer when Link reached the ground.

"Thank you, General," Link replied as he climbed on Epona's back.

"We ride for the Desert Colossus!" cried General Chaucer. "Hyaa!" At that point, the army rode at a swift canter across the Haunted Wasteland. As soon as they passed the gate, a harsh wind blew into their faces. While riding, many soldiers reached into their packs and drew out scarves to cover their faces from the sand blowing everywhere.

The path was pretty straightforward, although difficult to travel through. Sometimes the path ahead of them was impossible to see, but wood posts with red rags tied to the tips helped them along the way. They followed those posts for a while until they came upon a small stone structure. The trail was gone, and the only posts that could be seen were surrounding the structure.

Link, who had his own scarf wrapped around his face, surveyed the area. There wasn't much to see. There was a recess in the front of the structure that led underground, how deep however Link did not know. There was also a walkway that spiraled around the structure to the top. Link led the battalion to the front of the structure and dismounted. He then went up the walkway. When he reached the top, there was a small altar. Link couldn't make out what it said due to the wind.

Suddenly, a floating form appeared in front of him. Link gasped. It was a Poe!

"Greetings, great Hero of Light. I was informed that you would be here. The only way to make it to the Desert Colossus is by my guide, and I deem you worthy. I can feel the power coursing through your body. Come, follow me!"

Without another word, the Poe began to float off. Link hurried and jumped off the structure, landing on top of Epona's saddle.

"Follow that Poe!" Link cried. He broke into a gallop, the rest of the battalion following him.

Link followed the Poe, who made many dips and weaves and tried to confuse him, but he stayed with him. A few soldiers were lost to the wasteland, but most of them were able to follow the Poe into the place they needed to be.

It took about fifteen minutes to reach the Desert Colossus, and once they did, the wind stopped immediately.

Link beheld the most enormous statue he had ever seen in his life, which was probably why they called it the Desert Colossus. It was a statue of a Gerudo woman, sitting cross-legged and holding out both palms.

Link instantly saw the same portal that Xaar had opened with the Sword of Darkness. It was contained within a rock arch, which stood directly in front of the Desert Colossus and the entrance to the Spirit Temple.

Link made his way toward the portal, transfixed. The battalion followed him, equally mesmerized. When he stopped in front of the portal, he touched it with his finger. He felt a strange sucking sensation on his fingertip, and instantly pulled it away. Then, nervously, he led Epona forward headlong into the portal.

The process of going from Hyrule to the Dark Realm was jarring. Link found himself yelling out loud, and heard several other people screaming as they fell through what felt like an endless pit.

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A/N: How'd you like it? I can't know if you don't review, so please, if you would. I don't really have anything to say, so just read and review please.


	22. Showdown

**Chapter 21: Showdown**

A/N: I'd just like to say in advance that I goofed on the last chapter. There are exactly one hundred soldiers with Link, and they're all elite soldiers of the Hylian army. Sorry for my little mistake. Luckily, LinkIsaacANDLloyd pointed that out to me. Anyway, on with the story

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Suddenly, Link was righted again, sitting upon Epona in a vast field. It took him a while to realize it was Hyrule Field. Yet, while he was looking at Hyrule Field, there was something strange about it. Something different, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

He could tell his soldiers felt the same way. "What is this hellish place?" one soldier said fearfully.

"Have no fear, gentlemen," said General Chaucer. "We will be in and out of this evil place in a matter of hours with Link's lass in tow."

They began to march forward, to an almost exact replica of Hyrule City. As they moved, Link could begin to make sense of the strange feeling he was having. The field, and Link guessed everything else in the Dark Realm, was lifeless. Even though the grass looked just as green as the real Hyrule Field's, every time Epona's hoofs made contact, there was a nasty crunching sound, as if the grass was dead.

The air wasn't as pure as Hyrule's either. Link almost found it hard to breathe correctly. Also, the sky, while usually a beautiful blue, was now a lifeless gray. Link did not like this place. He wanted to get Malon in and out of here as fast as possible.

Finally, they arrived at the Hyrule City gate, which was surprisingly open. They continued through the gate, as casually as if they were at home.

Link had yet to see a Dark Realm person, but he had a feeling they would look much like Xaar.

He was correct. When they entered Hyrule Market, the usual hustle and bustle was inert and boring. There was no shouting or running around, and the people's skin were an ugly brownish gray, and their eyes were exactly like Xaar's: yellow where it should be white and black iris and pupils. The appearance made Link shudder, so he looked away.

Then he saw a guard. This was what looked most familiar. They were members of the Dusk Legion, just like Link had seen in Zelda's crystal ball. They, too, did not look at anyone. Link was surprised a fight didn't start once they saw the soldiers.

Alas, Link thought this too soon, because almost right after he thought it several Dusk Legion soldiers jumped out from behind buildings, corners, and kiosks around Hyrule Market. They were all brandishing weapons of all kinds: morning stars, scimitars, axes, maces, swords, halberds, pikes, and many more. There were several of them, but Link guessed that his own numbers would be more than enough to handle these.

Without speaking, the Dusk Legion soldiers advanced upon Link's ranks. As soon as they were within reach, Link began to hack at their withering bodies. Link was surprised when a jet of purple blood gushed from an enemy soldier's throat when he sliced it. Another foe came toward him and Link swung his sword in an arc that totally decapitated the enemy.

"Charge the castle!" Link cried. Instantly, he galloped forward into the ranks of the enemy, hacking and slashing at anything that moved. Their defenses were lined up right in front of the Hylians', but since they were on horses it was easy to plow through them and make their way to the copy of the real Hyrule Castle, where Link was almost positive Xaar was holding Malon.

Anger was filling Link's blood with each demonic being he slew. His eyes grew harder and harder as he stormed his way through the path that mocked the original that led to the castle's drawbridge.

He gasped when he saw it. It was one thing that did not look exactly like the original. In fact, it was far from it.

The stone bricks were a dark brown color, and the tower roofs were colored red. The architecture was actually precisely the same, but like everything else in the Dark Realm, there was something different about it besides the distinction in color.

The drawbridge was again down. Link and his following soldiers blasted through the entrance. By the time the Dusk Legion realized their castle was being overrun, all of Link's soldiers were inside.

The castle was swarming with Dusk Legion soldiers, but they were scattered. They weren't gathered in ranks, so Link was able to cut them down one by one as he made his way to the throne room. He knew where everything was. The architecture was as accurate on the inside as on the outside.

Finally he and his men arrived at the throne room. Link reared Epona up on her hind legs, making her kick her forelegs. They hit the door to the throne room hard enough to bang it open. Link calmed Epona down and charged through the throne room. There was just enough room for all of them. Master Ronin, who was in back, closed the throne room door and bolted it shut.

Xaar sat in front of them on his throne, altogether very calm. Malon was sitting on the throne next to him, her hands chained behind her back. She didn't look very good. She looked deathly ill.

"Malon," Link gasped, dismounted. He went to her, but he was stopped against his will. Link instantly countered Xaar's spell and was able to move.

"Well, well, I'm impressed," said Xaar. It was the first time Link had heard him speak, and it was unnerving. His voice sounded old, but at the same time he sounded like he was in his twenties.

"Your magic skills are superb," Xaar rasped. "How long have you trained?"

"Don't speak to me!" Link roared. He got up close to Xaar's face, who was still calm. "I swear, if I find out that you've caused her pain, I will kill you. It will be as slow and painful as I can make it."

Xaar laughed. "Boy, you have nerve. But you are foolish. You cannot hope to defeat me."

"You're the fool," Link spat, "if you think you can stand a chance against a hundred of Hyrule's finest men."

Xaar's eyes narrowed. "We shall see," he said, and he stood to his feet. Link instantly drew the Sword of Light, and he could hear the other soldiers draw their swords behind him.

Xaar drew the Sword of Darkness. This would be a clash to remember forever.

Instantly, Xaar waved his hand in the direction of the Hylian soldiers. Link saw a quick flash of blue, but nothing appeared to change until Xak tried to aid Link. He moved forward, but collided with an invisible wall. Xaar trapped Link inside a magic bubble! He wanted to fight him alone!

"Let's see how much you've learned, Hero of Light!" Xaar cried. He then charged straight toward Link from one side of the throne room. Link was standing on the other side, and he rushed to meet the demon.

Their swords collided in a brilliant flash of energy. The two swords repelled each other. Xaar swung for Link's head, shoulders, chest, and every other part of his body with lightning speed. Link cast a speed spell over himself to exceed Xaar's speed. It became easy to block Xaar's attacks. Then Xaar cast the same spell over himself, and they were even. To them, it appeared they were fighting at normal speed, but to Link's soldiers, it looked as if they were moving three times as fast as is humanly possible.

_Pangpangpangpangpangpangpangpangpangpang_! It was like their swords colliding were one single sound, and every time they did, a flash of light energy burst from Link's sword and a flash of dark energy burst from Xaar's.

Link did an aerial flip over Xaar's head, but Xaar saw it coming. He slashed at Link while he was in midair. Link anticipated the blow and blocked it, then countered it when he landed. He was satisfied when the sword made contact with Xaar's arm, making a deep purple cut on his forearm.

Angered, Xaar attacked Link with a renewed vigor. He was much faster now, and Link found it difficult to keep up. He was barely able to parry the attacks, so he turned the tables on him and caught him off guard with a bolt of lightning. Xaar absorbed it, but he had to stop attacking Link to do so. Link then brought on a barrage of swings and slashes so fast that Xaar was now the one who couldn't keep up. Link gained the upper hand, but it made him cocky. He couldn't tell that it was all an act to build Link up and cause him to make a mistake.

Xaar took advantage of it as soon as he saw it. Link slowed down in between sword strokes, and he also paused longer after every fifth. Xaar waited until the perfect moment. Link spun into a swing, and Xaar took action. He rolled around the swing and slashed horizontally. The evil blade made contact with Link's tunic, but luckily brushed against his chain mail harmlessly. Link came away with naught but a bruise on his back.

Xaar cursed himself for thinking Link would not be wearing armor under his tunic. The only way to penetrate it would be with a killing stroke.

The fight got more intense. Link could see Malon's eyes grow wide as she watched the fight from the throne. _She must have a spell on her that restricts speech_, Link thought, for she had not yet spoken, and her mouth was not gagged.

Link paid dearly for letting his attention move from the fight. Xaar's sword cut through Link's upper arm, which was unprotected. Link cried out as the sword cut through his skin and almost made contact with his bone. Every stroke of the sword now caused him pain, but he gritted his teeth and fought on.

Link and Xaar clashed their swords heavily and got caught in a swordlock. Link ground his sword against Xaar's. Xaar got his face close to Link's.

"You do not stand a chance," he wheezed. Link could see his teeth; they were black and yellow, and his breath smelled fetid. "You might as well give up now."

"I haven't waited a month to come here and surrender to you!" Link retorted, and pushed against Xaar's sword with all his strength. Xaar stumbled and fell to the floor. Link flipped forward and landed in front of him, sword point down. Xaar rolled out of the way barely in time, and Link's sword clanged against the ground. It vibrated painfully in his hands. Xaar took advantage of this and hit the tip of the sword. Link lost control and the sword spiraled to the other side of the room. It was finished. He was defeated. Link fell to his knees.

Xaar brought the tip of his sword to Link's throat, gloating.

"I warned you fairly," he said smugly. "Now you must suffer the consequences!"

Xaar pulled the sword back and began to drive it forward. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Link thought he could hear a woman screaming, as well as most of his soldiers.

It couldn't end this way.

Link rolled away from the blow and swept Xaar's feet from under him. He never saw it coming, and fell to the ground, dropping his sword in the process. Reacting quickly, Xaar made to grab it, but Link kicked it away. They were now both weaponless. Xaar stood to his feet, but Link knocked him back down with a heavy punch in the face, which probably felt like a Goron's punch due to his gold gauntlets.

Xaar drew a dagger from his boot unexpectedly and swiped at Link's knees. Link jumped back quickly, and used his martial arts training from the Guild to catch Xaar's wrist before he could stab him. Effortlessly, he twisted Xaar's arm in such a way that he was forced to drop it. Link then punched him in the chest. He flew back and crashed into the wall. Bricks dislodged from the wall, and there was an enormous dent, roughly in the shape of Xaar's body. Xaar fell to the floor. Link thought for sure he had won, but Xaar got right back up in an instant. He spat purple blood and jumped in the air into a spiral kick. The kick caught Link right in the chest and he collided with the magic wall. He almost fell to the floor in the same fashion as Xaar, but he caught his balance.

"Link, watch out!" a woman's voice cried. Instead of looking for who said it, Link caught Xaar's punch that was so close to his face that there was nothing else in his vision but a sharp spike jutting from the knuckles of Xaar's gauntlets. Link hadn't noticed that before.

Link twisted Xaar's wrist again and kicked his elbow, hard. Xaar fell back. Link then saw that Malon had somehow broken Xaar's spell and had been the one who screamed.

Link almost said something to her, but Xaar came forth, the Sword of Darkness in his hand again. Link didn't know what to do. He couldn't fight martial arts against a man armed with a sword!

Link concentrated all his energy on the magic barrier. Xaar could tell what he was doing, so he rushed forward to stop him. But it was too late. The barrier diminished, allowing General Chaucer and his men to rush in after Xaar. They thought they had him. They thought wrong.

Xaar roared loudly as he raised his left hand in their direction. Link cried out for them to get Malon and leave Xaar alone, but it fell on deaf ears. A huge, wide beam of dark energy blasted from Xaar's palm, sending each soldier and their horse soaring. Most of them collided into each other on the far wall, killing each other. The soldiers that weren't killed when they hit the wall were killed when they hit the ground below.

"No!" Link cried. He moved to see if anyone survived, but Xaar came for him too soon. Link instinctively pulled his sword toward him with a magnet spell, and caught it soon enough to parry Xaar's heavy blow, but it bent him down so that he was quivering with the exertion of keeping himself up.

"You have been beaten, Hero of Light!" Xaar seethed. "I've killed all your men, and I am going to kill you!"

Xaar brought his sword up, causing Link to fall to the ground. Xaar held it there for a moment, and faltered. Link didn't know what it was until he felt a warmth in his left hand. He looked down and saw that the Sword of Light was gleaming a brilliant yellow, a color so brilliant that it caused Xaar to shield his eyes. In the blink of an eye, Link stabbed upward. Xaar's breath caught. The sword stabbed deep in his stomach. Link stood up, the sword still in his enemy's gut. Xaar held the wound.

Link pulled the sword out as blood began to come out of Xaar's mouth. He expected Xaar to collapse, but he gritted his now purple-stained teeth and began to swing his sword. Link dismembered the arm that would have swung it. Xaar cried out, clutching his bleeding stump.

But he still refused to die. Link, with his sword still gleaming, brought his sword around and cleaved it straight through Xaar's neck, a stroke that was sure to kill him. Xaar's head spun and hit the floor with a sickening thud. Any blood that made contact with Link's sword sizzled and evaporated with the strength of the glowing blade.

Link turned his gaze not on Malon, but on the heap of seemingly dead bodies on the far side of the throne room. He rushed over, looking for survivors. As he saw their faces, he almost lost hope, until he saw Xak's chest moving up and down. His eyes widened. Xak survived! He didn't know if he was conscious, but he pulled him out of the pile and looked at his face. His eyes were closed, but his chest was moving. He was alive. Link wanted to feel relieved, but the magnitude of those dead was too much. Master Ronin, General Chaucer, and all those elite soldiers were vanquished in a single blow.

Malon came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. They cried together, mourning the deaths of ninety-nine men who had bravely followed Link into a foolish battle to save his love.

It took them a moment, but eventually they left the throne room. Xak was over Link's shoulder. Link had a deep feeling of depression. He had no idea how he was going to transport Malon and Xak out of there while Xak was unconscious and they had no horses and they still had members of the Dusk Legion to confront.

Link contacted Zelda with his mind. It took a moment, but she replied.

_Link? _

Zelda! I need help getting out of here! Is there any way you can conjure a portal where I'm standing? Link said.

I'm sure I could, but it would be very difficult.

Please, Zelda! Everyone's dead, we have no horses, and Xak's unconscious, but alive.

Everyone's dead!

I know, it's exactly what your father was worried about. But I need your help right now.

Of course. I'll try my best.

Link then went over to the wall and lay Xak down before sitting down against the wall. Malon took a seat beside him. Link turned to her.

"Link, thank you so much for getting me out of here," she said. He could see tears welling up in her eyes. "It's been so horrible."

"We're not out of this yet," said Link. Malon kissed him anyway. She meant to make it a quick one, but Link deepened the kiss. Malon smiled warmly when it was over and rested her head on his shoulder. Link put his arm around her and they sat there, waiting for Zelda's portal to appear.

It took a moment, but finally it appeared. Instead of the dark purple one, this was a brilliant blue.

Hurry! I can only hold it for so long! Zelda cried in Link's mind. Link hurried and put Xak over his shoulders and took Malon's hand. Quickly, they went straight into the portal.

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A/N: I've missed something on purpose. Sets it up for the sequel. Let's see if anyone can point it out! But you can only point it out to me in a review! One more chapter left!


	23. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Link heaved Xak through the portal with Malon beside him. It certainly didn't feel as unpleasant going from the Dark Realm to Hyrule. Link actually enjoyed the sensation.

Luckily, when they finally came back, they weren't in the Desert Colossus. In fact, they were standing in King Daphnes's announcement balcony, and most of the citizens of Hyrule were down in the plaza below, cheering like mad. Link looked around and saw King Daphnes standing on one side of him and Princess Zelda standing on the other side, clapping with the rest of the crowd. They were cheering for him. Link didn't think they realized everyone was dead.

Link was in no mood to accept the publicity. He gently dropped Xak down and whispered in the king's ear. "He needs medical attention."

Link left the balcony and made for the stable. Malon was close behind him.

"Link!" she cried. "What are you doing?"

Link stopped in front of Epona. He was conflicted.

"I don't want to see those people cheering for me, Malon," Link said.

"Why not? You did a great thing! You saved Hyrule from certain destruction!"

"Malon, I saw one hundred men die, all at once. They died because they followed me on a very brash mission that could have gotten us both killed! I'm lucky I survived! And if I would have died, nothing would have stood between Xaar and Hyrule!"

Malon was silent. Link could tell she was a little hurt, but he didn't press her; he had enough on his mind already. He turned and untied Epona and began to climb on. He was about to ride off out of the castle when he turned back. Malon was staring at him sadly. Link harrumphed.

"Hop on," he said. She wordlessly complied and they both exited the castle quickly so no villagers or guards could stop them. Link took Malon straight to the inn, where it was likely Talon still was. Talon would be happy to see his daughter alive. Link took her inside the inn and escorted her to her room, where Talon was sitting on the bed, staring at the wall. It took him a while to register that Malon was back.

Without a word, Talon stood up slowly, eyes locked onto his daughter's. Malon was already crying. Talon was in shock. He didn't speak until Malon was already in his arms, bawling her eyes out all over his chest. Talon let a tear leak out of his eye before his entire body was racked with sobs. Each sob required his full lung capacity.

Link politely left the two alone and went back to the entrance of the inn, where Epona was tied.

"Well, girl, it looks like it's just you and me for now," said Link as he stroked his mare's mane. Epona whinnied in response. Link chuckled and swung up on the horse's saddle. The people had left the streets, which was good because Link wouldn't be crowded and have to worry about not trampling anyone with his horse.

"Where to next, girl?" Link said, patting the side of her neck. Epona stared off to the south in the direction of Kokiri Forest. Link nodded. "Hyaa!" he cried, and kicked the mare's sides. Epona whinnied loudly and galloped off.

Link heard several cries of, "The Hero of Light!" "Look, it's him!" He took them all with a smile as he burst out of the city walls, headed full-tilt for his next unknown adventure.

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A/N: Not quite the ending you hoped for, right? I thought as much. Pretty short. Leaves room for a sequel! I'm going to write a Super Smash Brothers story before I begin production on number two, so look out for that when it comes! Thank you all for being fantastic readers and reviewers! Don't stop now. Look for my SSBM story!


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